Through the looking glass
by Eclipse89
Summary: Mai, Kagome's classmate gets transported feudal era by a suspicious artifact... Kagome and Inuyasha try to rescue her, but will they succeed? And what will happen to Mai, when she meets Sesshomaru, the demon, who knows no mercy? A Sesshomaru/OC. A story about a normal girl with no demon blood or superpowers, who will have to survive in the world of InuYasha.
1. Mai, Kagome and math

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

******Author Notes: Hello. Thanks for choosing my story. As an author I'll do my best to provide you with entertainment. The story is a long one, so it will take a few chapres to get into the real action, but don't get bored too quickly. I guarantee, that your patience will be rewarded. Anyway, have fun reading and send me a review afterwards.**  


******This is a re-uploaded version, corrected by my beta-reader NAMA4321. (Thank you very much!)  
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**Chapter 1**

**Mai, Kagome and math**

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Mai Asakura was staring at the clock. Only twenty minutes more and the math class will be over. And after that school will be over for a day and she will free to do everything she wanted.

"Let me think… maybe I'll do my history homework first, and then I'll read a book. Yes, I've been waiting all week to read it," she thought, "Oh, crap. My life is just so dull…"

Mai was an ordinary schoolgirl of the age of seventeen. She had both looks and pretty much everything else maybe, except a social life, since there was none. Unfortunately she inherited her looks from her father. She had shoulder-length brown hair, brown eyes with a little green in them and a perfectly plain looking face – with such a face she always went unnoticed. Mai was rather short, which contrasted with her overly curvaceous body – she wasn't fat, but, well… she could kill for a slender body. She was sick of both girl's snappy teasing and boy's perverted comments. Really, fate was cruel for her.

And then there was her lack of a social life. She hasn't had friends since middle school. Mai was always slow when it came to befriending people, and every time when she was finally ready to talk to "the target," it turned out that there were already groups formed. It didn't help that she was a bookworm, and since she had nothing better to do, Mai was good at studying. She had therefore an opinion of a nerd.

"God, it sucks." thought Mai as the teacher was scribbling something with chalk on the board. Mai lowered her head and closed her eyes. She felt more and more relaxed… and then she neatly fell off the chair as someone slammed the classroom door open. The whole class looked in the direction of the newcomer and in the doorway stood Kagome Higurashi. Her hair was terribly ruffled, her face red and she was obviously out of breath, as though she ran the whole distance between the Higurashi shrine and the school with the speed of an Olympic sprinter.

"I'm… sorry… I'm… late…" Higurashi managed to say. The teacher frowned and ordered her to sit.

"What an idiot." thought Mai, "She was sick for almost two weeks, and she shows up at the school for the last half of the period. Why bother to come?" Mai frowned, as she noticed the bright looks on the faces of Kagome's friends. "Eri, Yuka and Ayumi – that were their names, right? Oh and the dreamy look on Hojo's face. Damn, she's a lucky one. The prettiest girl in the class has friends, and the most popular guy in the class is chasing her like mad. Not that she would want Hojo-kun anyway. She would want rather someone with more spine, maybe a little dangerous, but kind. Oh, and strong. So that she wouldn't have to beat up those perverted boys on her own anymore. Maybe he should look like that actor; what was his name…?"

"ASAKURA!" The yelling of the teacher woke her from her little dream. She didn't even notice that class was over and students were packing and leaving.

"Umm, what?" she asked mechanically. After she realized what she had done, she glanced up at the teachers face. Kamei-sensei looked like her grandmother when Mai told her she sold her engagement ring to buy books. Teachers face was turning red, his eyes glared daggers.

"Sorry?" tried Mai with an innocent look on her face.

"You should respect your teacher," stated Kamei-sensei. "Stay after class."

Mai opened her mouth. She didn't believe it! That ass just made her abandon her hopes for a relaxing Monday.

"What?!" she nearly exclaimed. The teacher gave her THE look. Mai, feeling defeated, sighed and dragged herself after teacher.

Everyone left the school, everyone except Mai, the teacher and Higurashi. Kamei-sensei ignored Mai, who was sitting on the desk, listening about how Higurashi's notes (as in grades?) dropped and how she needed to improve…

"Asakura!" the teacher addressed her.

"Umm, yes, sensei?" she used her most polite tone.

"As you heard, your classmate, Higurashi, has some difficulties with math. I thought you could help her, considering, that you are at the top of the class…" Mai knew what he was trying to do. He wanted to rob her of her freedom. No way would she spend her free time teaching Higurashi math.

"I am not sure if I have free time…" Mai started.

"I am convinced that it will be beneficial for you. You could get a higher grade." Kamei-sensei tried to bribe her. But Mai wasn't one of those who gave up easily.

"Really, I don't have time." she stated firmly. Teacher glared at her. He didn't expect such defiance. Higurashi was only staring at the both with wide eyes. Kamei-sensei smirked.

"Or your grades could drop," he said smugly. Mai couldn't believe it! How dare he!

"You won't do that." she said not sure if she was right.

"Oh, you want to try me?" asked the teacher. Mai clenched her teeth. Shit, she was about to lose. She glanced at Higurashi. God, why must she look at me with that hopeful face? Mai sighed.

"I'll do it." she said finally. An hour a week wouldn't hurt, right?

"It's settled then!" exclaimed teacher and slapped Mai's back happily. "You two start today."

With those words he walked out of the classroom leaving a depressed Mai and Higurashi.

"So…" Kagome started, "I suppose we could go to my house. Mama will cook nabe for dinner today."

"Nabe?" asked Mai slowly. That was tempting. Mai couldn't not notice that Kagome was doing her best putting on a happy face and obviously trying to cheer Mai up.

"Oh, yes. And you must know that her cooking is the best. You know what?" Higurashi asked suddenly. "When I think about that, we never introduced ourselves to each other properly. I'm Ka-go-me! I can call you Mai, can't I?" Kagome said cheerfully. Mai stared at her with disbelief. Well, such situation was a first. Apparently Higurashi… emm Kagome was a straightforward person.

"I suppose you can." Mai answered hesitantly. She thought nothing would stop Kagome from calling her by the name anyway.

On the way to the Higurashi Shrine, Kagome was blabbering about her family, fat cat and nightmares about math. Mai was mostly listening but slowly grew accustomed to Kagome. The conversation went much better after some time.

Luckily, Higurashi wasn't lying about the nabe. Mai was enjoying the meal with Kagome, her grandfather, mother and little brother Sota. The Higurashi family was joking and laughing. It was actually quite nice for Mai.

"Mai?" asked Kagome's mom. The woman seemed to be impersonating kindness.

"Yes, Mrs. Higurashi?"

"Shouldn't you call home? Does your family know that you are staying for a while? Your parents must be worried." said Kagome's mother with a genuine look of worry on her face.

"No need." said Mai shortly. "I live alone. Mom died when I was little and dad about two years ago."

Whole Higurashi family held their breaths and stared at Mai with pity. God, she hated that.

"You are always welcome in our house." stated Kagome's mother, nearly in tears. She reached out and hugged Mai.

"Come anytime!" added Kagome. Her little brother nodded vigorously. Mai could feel tears welling in her eyes. It felt like family…

"You can be my apprentice." said grandpa. Mai stared at the old man. If this was a shrine, he should be a priest. Then an idea came to her mind.

"Oh, so Kagome must be a miko!" said Mai laughing at the idea of Higurashi dressed in traditional white and red miko attire chanting some prayers. It would be just hilarious.

"Don't be silly!" answered Kagome laughing nervously. "Actually I AM miko," thought Kagome to herself.

For the next two hours Mai was trying to explain geometry to Higurashi. At first it was tough. Didn't she at least read notes once? But later on it went much better. Kagome wasn't as dumb as Mai expected; she only needed someone to explain what is what. She would probably have good grades if only she wasn't absent nearly all the time. While Kagome was scribbling on her own, Mai took her time to look around the room. It was pink. Seriously, pink was everywhere; it said that its owner is very womanly and cute. Too bad for Mai that she wasn't like that. She was raised by father, who taught her how to fish, shoot from a bow (although Mai always sucked at this), kill chickens and skin a rabbit. Her father's motto was: "What doesn't kill you will make you stronger." Perhaps it wasn't the right way to raise a daughter. Mai noticed a couple of photos lying on a bed.

"Kagome, are those the photos from the culture festival?" she asked her new friend.

"Ah, yeah," She said after a while, still calculating something in her mind. "Take a look, if you want."

Mai picked up photos. There was one of Kagome and her friends. She noticed that Kagome was cooking, singing in choir and even acting in a play. Mai didn't do anything. With her special talent to be invisible, it wasn't that hard to avoid every one of the stupid festival jobs, but she was a little bit jealous of Kagome. She had those memories; it was some kind of adventure. One of the photos caught Mai's attention. It was one of the boy in the traditional Japanese clothing, vividly red. He had silver hair (probably a wig) and cat or dog ears attached to the top of his head, and a huge sword. Was it made of plastic? Still it should be heavy. Mai remembered that he was helping Kagome and Hojo-kun with the play. The girl squinted her eyes. The guy was strange, but he was handsome. And the way he was acting was totally cool.

"Kagome?" asked Mai. Higurashi said nothing, concentrating so hard, that it was miracle her head didn't blow up yet.

"Kagome!" Kagome turned around on her chair.

"What? I forgot the equation!" Higurashi snapped. Mai chose to ignore her and waved the photo in front of Kagome's eyes.

"Is that your boyfriend?" she asked. Mai didn't have to wait long for the results. Kagome blushed.

"He. Is. Not. My. Boyfriend." Kagome stated firmly. Mai laughed.

"I heard Ayumi, Yuka and Eri say that he is your boyfriend." she didn't add that the friends described him as "two-timing scoundrel".

"Hmpf." said Kagome and she returned to the math.

Unfortunately, two girls heard just then a male voice yelling:

"KAGOME!" Kagome stiffened, a look of horror on her face. She leapt towards the window and slammed it open.

"GO BACK!" she yelled. Amused, Mai observed her friend with growing smile.

"KAGOME! WE'RE GOING!" the male voice yelled. Mai realized that she had heard the voice before. It was Kagome's boyfriend. She looked at Higurashi. Kagome had an expression of pure rage on her face.

"INUYASHA, OSUWARI!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Mai heard a loud thud. "I have a guest! See you tomorrow!"

Kagome slammed the window shut, breathing heavily. She turned to Mai, only to see a wide smile on the other girl's face.

"So, it IS your boyfriend." said Mai happily. Kagome sighed in defeat, but she was also relieved.

"You can say so." she admitted. Unfortunately, Mai wasn't done asking questions.

"What's his name?" Mai asked.

"Oh… Inuyasha." Kagome answered. Mai furrowed her brows. Inu... Yasha? Like in a "dog" or… "dog demon"? His parents must have had a twisted sense of humor. Poor guy. She decided not to comment on that further.

"He's rather good-looking." stated Mai, once again looking at the photo.

"Umm," Kagome agreed. She saw Mai sighing.

"Does he have a brother by chance?" Mai asked abruptly. Kagome coughed in shock, an image of the youkai Sesshomaru in her mind.

"Actually, he has an older brother."

"You must introduce me to him some day!" said Mai happily while Kagome nearly died of a cough attack this time. Mai was so clueless. And Kagome imagined Sesshomaru – full demon, a perfect killing machine and introducing him to Mai. "Oh, Mai, this is Inuyasha's brother. Be careful when you shake his hand, his claws are poisonous." No, she had to change subject.

"Mai, I don't really get that equation. Can you lend me a hand on this one?" said Kagome. Both girls leaned over the notes and Mai started explaining the particular equation once more.

Another hour passed like that and the girls decided to call it a day. Mai packed her bag and said goodbye to Kagome, her newly acquired friend and her family. She left Higurashi Shrine in high spirits, never noticing a certain hanyou, who was lying comfortably on the roof and observing her with his golden eyes.

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Kagome sighed loudly as she came back to her room. Mai turned out to be a lot nicer and cheerful person than she expected, and she was a great help with math too. Kagome was lucky that Mai didn't notice Inuyasha… or suspected him of being a hanyou. She will be more careful from now on. Kagome felt the cold breeze on her back. She turned around to see Inuyasha sitting on the window frame pouting.

"Why did you HAVE to do it!" he complained.

"I was with a friend and she COULD have seen you." Annoyed, Kagome poked the hanyou in his chest with her finger. "How many times must I repeat myself, that no one can know that you are not human!"

"Feh!" Inuyasha turned his head. "What's the fuss? I could wear cap your mother gave me."

"Inuyasha…" Kagome sighed, looking at him. The cap could hide his dog ears, but it couldn't hide his abnormal eye and hair color or claws and fangs. She doubted that Mai would be so stupid not to notice such things. And Kagome would be in BIG trouble. "Inuyasha, just before you show up or call me again, check to make sure she's not around."

"Such a bother," mumbled the hanyou. "Pack your things. We leave in the morning."

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**Thank you for reading. Did you like it? Please leave your comment. (I have weekness towards chocolate and reviews)**


	2. Grandpa's new assistant

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Note: This is a re-uploaded version, corrected by my beta-reader NAMA4321. (Thank you very much!)**

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**Chapter 2**

**Grandpa's new assistant**

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Mai was packing her books into her bag. She sighed. She hadn't seen Kagome in a week now. For a couple of days she went every day to the Higurashi Shrine to teach Kagome math. Basically, she nearly lived there. She ate meals with Kagome's family, explained some material to Kagome, did her own homework, together with Kagome, and in the meantime was lying on the bed reading books, which belonged to Kagome's grandpa. For about a week she experienced the feeling of actually having a friend – the one she could talk to and laugh together with.

Now her friend was missing. Of course Mai knew there wasn't anything unusual about Higurashi not being at school, but earlier she didn't really care. However, now the situation was different. Her friends mentioned that she was sick. Perhaps Mai should visit her. Yes, she will visit Kagome – cheer her up or do something friends usually do and bring her notes over and get her to study. In the worst case she would use sita-method.

Having decided, Mai set off vigorously for the Higurashi Shrine. "Crap," she thought, "Why so many stairs?" In the yard grandpa Higurashi was sweeping pathways. Mai waved to him.

"Hello, grandpa Higurashi!" she called. The old man looked slightly bewildered and he was glancing from Mai to the well house. He cleared his throat.

"Umm… Hello, Mai. Nice to see you again."

"Kagome's sick?" asked Mai. "I brought notes and homework. I want to say hello to her and cheer her up."

"It's impossible!" exclaimed grandpa Higurashi, grabbing Mai's shoulders. He stared intensely into her eyes. "She has smallpox, and it's serious. And highly contagious."

"Oh." said Mai, trying to break free of grandpa's hold, but it was too strong. "I had smallpox when I was four. I won't get sick."

"It's bird smallpox!" said grandpa. Mai looked baffled. She has heard of bird flu, but bird smallpox…? She was almost positive something like that didn't exist. She tried to free herself from old man's grasp once again, and again she failed. The old bugger was holding her stronger than she thought he would.

"Alright, but please pass these notes to her, and tell her there is a test in Japanese next week." Mai gave up. "Oh, here's the book you lent me. Can I have another one?"

Grandpa brightened up now that Mai was not insisting on seeing Kagome.

"Follow me." he said and led the girl to the storage house.

Mai looked around, amazed at how much junk the old man had here. There were so many vases, strange artifacts, and old scrolls and books that grandpa was claiming were authentic. Who would believe that? Grandpa climbed on a stool and was looking for something among old tomes while Mai stood with her arms folded.

"Grandpa Higurashi?" she started. The old man mumbled something inaudible as one of the tomes fell on his head. Mai sighed and continued, "You could use some cleaning up here, wouldn't you say? And I don't really have much to do. So maybe I could help you some day?"

Before she began tutoring Kagome, Mai got used to spending time alone, reading. She had to admit though, that now she missed human company. Books were fun as always, but she liked being with Kagome's family even better.

Grandpa Higurashi thought that the girl had a point. He could use a helping hand around here. His daughter was busy with work and housekeeping, Souta was still small and Kagome… she was never interested in the Shrine and was always busy travelling to feudal era. An assistant would be in order, but he had to keep Kagome's travels secret. He had an idea…

"You start tomorrow then." grandpa Higurashi decided. Mai's green eyes brightened with joy. She will have a chance to go through all those weird things. Legally. She couldn't hide how excited she was.

"Which do you want? About healing herbs or demons?" The voice of grandpa Higurashi returned Mai to reality. The old man was holding two books.

"Demons, of course!" answered Mai, reaching for the book. "I'll come tomorrow after school then, and say hi to Kagome!"

Mai quickly threw the book into her bag and darted off to her own apartment. She restrained herself from skipping and singing. That would be just pathetic, but she really felt like this today. During the past week her life changed abruptly. She gained a friend – unfortunately unavailable right now - a substitute for a family and an interesting part-time job, and she had more people to talk to than just to the old librarian. Mai darted to her apartment and slammed door shut. She kicked off her shoes, took out the book, the one grandpa Higurashi gave her, threw herself onto couch and started to read. The tome was like an encyclopedia – it described various types of demons, their habits, origin and stories about them. Mai had loved reading mythologies since childhood – every one: Greek, Roman, Scandinavian, Chinese, and of course Japanese.

Mai went to the kitchen and opened fridge only to discover that all the food had already expired. She made herself coffee instead. Mad, she went back towards the couch and continued reading. Where was she? Ah, dog demons. Mai learned that those were particularly powerful ones, had white fur and golden eyes. In human form they would have white hair. Hmm… white… Mai remembered. Kagome's boyfriend… what was his name again… something funny… got it! Inuyasha! Yes, that was his name. He must have had a costume of a dog demon during culture festival. Well… it wasn't so surprising considering the name of the poor guy. Mai yawned, read several more fantastic stories about dog demons – she particularly liked the one about dog demon king and beautiful princess – and she fell asleep still in her clothes.

Mai lazily opened her eyes and glanced at the clock. "Oh, it's eleven." Suddenly Mai sat up, panicking as she realized it was already morning… no, nearly noon and she was not in school! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. She would be so dead. She showered quickly and dressed herself in a fresh uniform, grabbed the books she needed and ran to the school, her hair still wet and clinging to her face. What a terrible day! Mai had never once come to school late.

"I'm late!" she screamed as she darted into classroom. The math teacher looked at her, obviously annoyed.

"I'm sure that everyone noticed. Now sit. It seems you are around Higurashi too much for your own good, Asakura, and next time dress properly." he said pointing at her wet uniform.

Mai looked down. The uniform put on her wet body was clinging to Mai tightly, leaving very little to imagination. Boys whistled and Mai got red. She ran over to her desk and started unpacking. She couldn't find her math textbook though. She packed the tome about demons instead. Not to add that Kagome was nowhere in sight, probably still sick. "What a nightmare. This day just can't get any worse."

Mai didn't know how wrong she was.

In the meantime, grandpa Higurashi was installing a lock on the door to well house. One key he hid in the pocket of his sleeve, and the other placed near the door inside the building, along with a note to Kagome, which forbade her to go out if the door was locked or to sneak into house. With a satisfied smile, the old man locked the door and waited for his new assistant.

And there she came, looking furious and unkempt. Her hair, now dry, hadn't been touched by a brush today. She reminded him of his granddaughter.

"I'm ready." stated Mai, and she stomped over to the storage house. Grandpa sighed and followed the girl.

For the next few hours they were segregating numerous items and Mai was making a list. In the meantime, Kagome's mom brought dinner.

"Can I see Kagome today?" asked Mai. Kagome's mom shifted her gaze uneasily.

"Maybe sometime later. Oh, I must go look for Souta." with those words Mrs. Higurashi nearly escaped. "Something here smells fishy," thought Mai.

They wouldn't let her see Kagome and they're obviously lying. Mai was never the quickest one when it came to discerning lies from the truth, but this deception was apparent even for her. The girl decided to leave the matter alone for now. "I'll figure it out later." She looked at the next item. It was a sheathed sword. Mai wondered if it was sharp. Well, there was only one way to find out. She tried to pull it out of the sheath. Nothing. She tried harder, but it still wouldn't come out.

"Uff, Grandpa Higurashi!" Mai called to get the old man's attention. "The sword must be rusty. What sword is it supposed to be?"

"Ooo, it's an important heirloom. It's the Murakumo no Tsurugi and was passed down through generations…"

"I think it's fake." Mai interrupted him. She read about that legendary sword, but she was nearly sure it wasn't the same sword she was holding. Grandpa frowned.

"On the sheath it says: Murakumo no Tsurugi," the old man defended himself. Mai brought the sword closer to her eyes to read the characters.

"I believe you got one character wrong. If you read it differently, as in "fang" you get "Sounga," said Mai, but grandpa wasn't ready to give up.

"So you say it's worthless?"

"I didn't say that!" exclaimed Mai. "This sword may not be the Murakumo no Tsurugi, but it's very old. I bet it has some amazing history!"

"It's Murakumo no Tsurugi," stated grandpa stubbornly. Mai opened her mouth to argue more, but a loud noise from the well house interrupted her. The girl grabbed grandpa's arm and began pulling him towards the well house.

"It may be thieves," said Mai. "Mrs. Higurashi and Souta should be out shopping."

Mai, along with grandpa being dragged behind her, found themselves in front of the well house; the door was wide open. Grandpa muttered a curse under his nose. Mai darted into the well house, and the old man couldn't stop her. She looked around and found nothing out of the ordinary. She even looked inside the well, but there was also nothing was to be found. Mai went outside and noticed something bright yellow in the bushes near the old tree Goshinboku. It was a backpack, and it looked a lot like Kagome's. She wanted to examine it closer, but grandpa snatched it quickly from her hands.

"Oh, thank you Mai. You're such a good girl. I've been looking for this all morning. Now let's continue our work. We're still not done yet." with those words, he ushered her in the direction of storage house. Mai followed reluctantly.

Meanwhile behind the Goshinboku, Kagome and Inuyasha let out their breaths. Both were still plastered to the tree in a tight embrace.

"She's gone," stated Inuyasha sniffing air.

"Ekhem," Kagome cleared her throat. "Inuyasha, you're crushing my ribs."

Inuyasha looked at her, surprised, when she spoke and realized the position they were in. He quickly released her. Both Inuyasha and Kagome looked away, blushing.

"That was close." said Kagome, mostly to break uncomfortable silence. The hanyou nodded.

"What is she doing here anyway? You should just get rid of her!" he snapped angrily.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said quietly, her eyes sending death glares towards Inuyasha. "Osuwari."

Mai thought she heard a thud.

"Don't pay attention." grandpa said wearily.


	3. The mirror

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Note: This is a re-uploaded version, corrected by my beta-reader NAMA4321. (Thank you very much!)**

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**Chapter 3**

**The mirror**

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"Toilet," Mai said shortly and took off at full speed, leaving a surprised grandpa Higurashi. She ran into the house.

On her way back, she heard a commotion, probably in the kitchen. She crept towards the source of the noise as quietly as she could and jumped into the kitchen with a loud:

"Aha!"

Then the scream nearly pierced Mai's ears. In the kitchen was standing Kagome bewildered and desperately clutching her chest, as to steady her heartbeat, and of course in her school uniform.

"Mai, you idiot!" she screamed. "Did you want me to have a heart attack?"

"Oh, no, since you are already nearly dead. Bird smallpox I heard." Mai said smugly. Kagome did her best to keep a poker face, but her mind was racing wildly. "How much does she know? She knows about the well? Inuyasha? And what story did grandpa tell her?"

"I'm feeling better now." Kagome said, trying her best to make her voice sound weak. Mai raised her eyebrow.

"Oh, come on, Kagome; you look perfectly fine to me. So what were you doing all this time? Eh?" Mai questioned her.

Kagome started to sweat. Her palms were already wet. She knew that something like this would happen sooner or later, but why today?

"Umm… you know… it's kind of complicated…" she started.

"You can tell me." Mai assured Kagome.

The Higurashi girl's mind screamed, "What am I supposed to say? That I'm going on the trips to the feudal era where I'm fighting lots of demons with a hanyou? It's insane…" Kagome opened her mouth to utter something when Souta stormed into kitchen.

"Sis, you should really stop playing those video games of yours and get to school!"

Both Mai and Kagome were dumbfounded. Mai was the first to break the silence.

"A video games addiction? No wonder you didn't want to tell me."

Kagome smiled sheepishly. She would take Souta to an amusement park and buy him a bucket of ice cream, a very large bucket. Her little brother was a hero for keeping his head cool. God, thank you. Thank you! Luckily, Mai believed the story. Kagome was so occupied with overjoying that her secret was safe, that she didn't notice that Mai was shaking her.

"Earth to Kagome? I asked if you will help me and your grandpa in the storage house? Girl, get back to the land of living!"

"What? Ah, I'm going, sure." Kagome managed to utter as Mai started dragging her to the shed.

"Your family knew," stated Mai. Kagome nodded. "And why the hell are you wearing that school uniform?"

"Eh?" the question took Kagome by surprise.

Right, she was still in her uniform, as always, when she traveled to the feudal era. That would be hard to explain. Mai narrowed her eyes.

"You know what?" said Mai. "I think I really don't want to know the answer."

A while later the girls were segregating a pile of junk, which was grandpa's greatest treasure. Kagome was placing the boxes, jars and vases on the shelves, and Mai was keeping track of the list. Grandpa was supervising, which meant that he basically tortured the girls with stories. Even Mai had enough.

"Any more?" whimpered Kagome. "My hands are falling off!"

"I Imagine that nearly a week of intense gaming must have taken its toll," responded Mai sarcastically. Kagome narrowed her eyes and looked as though she wanted to annihilate her friend.

"Careful with that, Kagome! This mirror has a long story…" started grandpa. Both girls rolled their eyes as the old man got carried away again. "It's a mystical mirror. It is said it has power to switch souls of people if they glance into the mirror at the same time. It works however only if one soul is an incarnation of another."

With these words, grandpa excused himself as Kagome's mother called him. Mai couldn't help noticing that Kagome was slightly pale and was holding the mirror as far from her as possible and avoided looking towards the mirror.

"You're not going to pack it?" asked Mai. Kagome hesitated.

"You do it." said the Higurashi girl and she tried to hand the mirror to Mai. Mai pushed it away.

"Oh, are you scared that your soul will be switched, Kagome?" laughed Mai. Kagome faked a smile.

"Don't be silly," she said quickly. Actually, she was dead afraid that maybe Kikyo would be transferred into her body and then Inuyasha… Kagome pull yourself together! You know that the possibility that Kikyo is staring into this mirror right now 500 years ago is very, very low. On the other hand, the possibility of falling into the well and getting out of it in the feudal era also shouldn't be high. One must be always cautious.

"All right." decided Kagome. "We'll wrap it up together, and Mai, try not to look into the mirror."

The girls started packing the mirror when Souta ran into the storage house.

"Sis," he nearly shouted. "Mama wants to see you. Now."

Kagome sighed and followed Souta. When she was in the doorway, she turned around.

"Mai." she said to her friend seriously. "Don't look into it."

And so Kagome left Mai with the mystical mirror to wrap. "God, why is it pentagonal? It makes it only harder to wrap," complained Mai to herself. Actually, she wanted to take a good look at it. Kagome seemed to be afraid of it, but she could just be superstitious. It wouldn't be abnormal to be superstitious when you live in a shrine. After all, there were lots of stories about cursed mirrors, like they could take your soul, have a demon sealed inside or other stupidities. Mai decided it wouldn't hurt to take a look. Just one. Then she would wrap it and put it away.

Mai flipped the mirror over and examined it. Its shape was pentagonal; it was of a rather medium size, with a plain wooden frame and seemingly old. Mai took a breath and looked at her reflection. Of course, there wasn't anything out of ordinary. In the mirror was her own plain face staring back. The same brown-green eyes, the same nose, which wasn't her favorite part of her face, the same childish cheeks and the same brown hair. The same… only longer. Shocked, Mai looked once more. There was no doubt! The Mai that was reflected in the mirror had long hair, much past her shoulders, but she could not tell how long exactly. The girl felt something welling up in her stomach. In the mirror she saw the expression of sheer terror on her face. She tried to toss out the mirror, to scream for Kagome, but her voice wouldn't come out; her body was still. She desperately tried to loosen her grip on the mirror's frame, but she couldn't move them. It was either the fear that had paralyzed her or some unknown force that didn't want to allow her to avert her gaze from the mirror. She couldn't do anything as her surroundings started to blur. It felt like the world was disappearing, or like she was. Mai had her gaze still fixed on the face in the mirror, the same as her own, but another. She observed as the reflection was returning to normal, her reflection's hair becoming shorter, like her own. The world around her was beginning to look more real and not so blurred anymore. Mai finally managed to flex her fingers and the mirror fell on the floor. Her knees bent under, and she had to use her hands to prevent her face from meeting ground. She gasped in shock as her long hair fell like a curtain around her, and then she fainted.

Five hundred years ago, in the castle of Asakura clan.

"Hime-sama!" the maidservant called.

"You may come in." said a quiet, demure voice. The maidservant came in, bowing deeply.

Inside sat a young noblewoman, the princess of Asakura clan, Amayami-hime. She looked as if she was deep in thought. Her long brown hair, now undone, was falling softly, reaching the floor as she sat on a cushion. Her brown-green eyes had a slightly melancholic look in them. Princess was dressed in a multi-layered kimono made of the finest silk. She looked at a maidservant, who was still bowing in front of her. Princess smiled gently and told the woman in her sweet voice to face her.

"What brings you here, Yume?" Amayami-hime asked. The young servant gasped as she heard her name being remembered by the princess. She seemed to have forgotten, what was she doing in princess's quarters in the first place? The woman held out a package. Amayami-hime glanced at it curiously.

"What would that be?" she asked.

"My lady," quickly answered the woman called Yume. "It was sent by Gorouza-dono to Amayami-hime as a gift to commemorate the engagement."

The blush begun to show on Amayami-hime's face as she cautiously took the package that was handed over to her. Gorouza-dono was the man she was going to marry in a matter of weeks. The man to whom she would pledge loyalty and love. The man who will become the father of her children. Her destiny, her everything. She couldn't wait to be married to him. That was the purpose of her life – to become the wife of such a powerful man, and she would more than gladly accept it.

Amayami-hime held the package close to her heart, wondering what the gift was that her beloved lord sent her. Her heart was beating faster as the maidservant took her leave. Princess began to unwrap the package. Inside was a plain-looking mirror. Amayami-hime was a little bit disappointed but told herself that if the gift is one given from the bottom of the heart, it shouldn't be judged. She held the mirror in front of her face, glancing at her own reflection. Suddenly, the princess stiffened. It was not her reflection. From the mirror, another person was looking at her. She had her face, but she was not her. The other one had noticeably shorter hair, like some village girl, not the knee-long princess's tresses, and she didn't have the royal air about her, like Amayami-hime had.

"Gorouza-dono," thought the princess, "Why would you send me a demon sealed in a mirror? Why?"

That was the last thought of Amayami-hime before she slipped into unconsciousness.


	4. The princess

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha**

**Author Notes: ****This is a re-uploaded version, corrected by my beta-reader NAMA4321. (Thank you very much!)**

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**Chapter 4**

**The princess**

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Mai slowly opened her eyes and sat up. She was feeling like crap. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. She was in a large room decorated in a traditional Japanese way. It looked like she was in a museum in Osaka Castle or another such place. The room had very little furniture, and the walls were beautifully painted with cranes and cherry blossoms. The bed, where she was laying, had a really impressive size. Suddenly, Mai paled as she remembered what happened earlier in the Higurashi shrine. The mirror. The girl reached to her hair and discovered that it was very long, much past her waist. She pulled it and it really hurt. "It's not a dream," Mai muttered under her nose. She had to find that damn mirror. She scanned the room with her eyes and found it. There it was, resting on a desk. Mai got up and nearly fell down. Angrily, she looked down and noticed that she wasn't wearing her school uniform. Instead she was dressed in a kimono – many layers of it actually. "This has got to be some joke," she thought and came over to the mirror. She grabbed it quickly and gave it her best threatening glare. Nothing happened. Well, nothing except that she could take in her slightly different face. Aside from the long hair, her skin looked better, and she was dressed like some princess from the feudal era. Yup, that was pretty much all when it comes to differences. Mai carefully set the mirror aside and walked over to the sliding door. She slid it slowly, watching for any sign of danger. There was none, and before her very eyes was the most beautiful Japanese garden she ever saw. She was so taken aback that she didn't hear maidservant coming into the room.

"Hime-sama," called a quiet and shy voice.

Mai turned around with the maximal speed that her clothes allowed. What she saw startled her. A woman was actually groveling on the floor before her. "It's supposed to be a deep bow," Mai thought to herself.

"Eh?" that was the only answer Mai could manage. "Hime? Is she talking to me?"

"Your lord father requested your presence during the dinner with his advisors." said the girl on the floor respectfully. "It is time for you to prepare, my lady."

"Alright," Mai agreed. The woman looked confused by her answer. Lord father? Advisors? What the hell is going on here?

Mai would like to think more about the current situation, but in that very moment four women burst into the room and grabbed her. Confused, Mai didn't fight. They led her to the bathing room and started undressing her. Embarrassed, the girl was covering herself with her hands as much as she could. If the whole situation hadn't been so stressful, she would have enjoyed washing her hair. Soon Mai was ushered out of the tub and dried. The women dressed her in far too many layers of heavy, silk kimonos and brushed her hair. Then one of them applied make-up, and a large mirror was brought before Mai. At first the girl flinched, remembering the whole mess with mirrors, but then she looked at the reflection.

She looked like a totally different person. Very strange – like some princess from a period drama, but she had to admit that she looked prettier than previously. "Ah, good spa and make-up," she told herself.

"My lady, it is time." said the maidservant from before, and she showed the way. Mai went, unsure, where to take turns.

The people around her were crazy and one thing was sure – angered, crazy people were violent, and she didn't want to end up dead. She hadn't the slightest idea what was going on, but she decided to play along and find out what's going on. If they wanted her to be a princess, then she would act like one. Mai wondered if it was Kagome's sick joke or a kidnapping. Who would benefit from kidnapping her and for what purpose? The girl also had another idea but was too afraid of it to even think of it now.

She was led into the huge room where a rich-clothed man was waiting. He was around his fifties, not so tall and had a rather intimidating beard, and eyes like her own.

"Amayami," he said in a deep voice.

Mai quickly looked around and it dawned on her that the man was addressing her. She didn't have a clue what to say. Who was he? Presumably a relative of some sort. She decided to smile and bow slightly. Apparently, it was the right decision. The man smiled and strode towards her.

"Are you all right, my child?" he asked with a worry in a voice.

Mai wanted to scream in his face that she was NOT his child and demand to tell her what the hell is going on, but the voice in the back of her head told her not to do it. Suddenly, she got an idea that could simplify things around here.

"Actually, I tripped and I hit myself in the head. I think I might be confused right now." Mai blurted out.

The man paled. He turned around and ordered to the one of servants:

"Bring the doctor in here immediately. My daughter is injured, and send for lady Aiko."

The servant ran out frantically. So, I am his daughter. If I'm a princess, he must be the lord of the castle. I have a feeling that I will need all the information I can get. The attention of the lord turned back to Mai.

"Amayami, rest please. I wouldn't want you to overexert yourself." he said and ushered her on the bench. Mai sat down and stared at her knees. The situation is getting more and more freaky with every minute.

There was one hell of a commotion. Angry, the lord was giving servants commands, and the servants were panicked. Then a man and a woman rushed through the sliding door. The man looked somewhat like a rat – he was short and thin, with grey hair; his back was bent with the age. The woman beside him was in her fifties, dressed in fine silk. She was quite tall and slim; her face was proud. She gave Amayami a stern look and turned attention to the lord.

"My lord?" she asked while bowing slightly. The man frowned.

"Aiko, were you aware of an accident which befell Hime? My daughter informed me that she injured herself in head."

"Oh?" the woman called Aiko lifted her hand to her lips and glanced at Mai with worry. "My lord, the servants found hime-sama lying on the floor yesterday, but we assumed she was weary and fell asleep! I offer my apologies, my lord…"

"Enough! Servants out!" yelled the lord. "Doctor, examine the princess."

Mai definitely didn't want the "rat-man" anywhere around her. She tried her best smile.

"I think that I feel better already." she said. The elder woman furrowed her eyebrows.

"Amayami, do you want to faint when you meet Gorouza?" she asked sternly.

"Who is Gorouza?" asked Mai.

She realized soon that the question was a big mistake. The lord, the doctor, and lady Aiko were staring at her as though they were thinking she was crazy. Mai shifted herself on the bench and tried to think of what to say. The doctor was the first to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Princess, lord Gorouza is your fiancé. You are to be married to him this summer. You didn't remember him?" the man asked. "Fiancé? Oh crap," thought Mai.

"No." she said aloud.

"Who is the man beside me?" the doctor asked while pointing the lord.

"My… father. Lord…" Mai looked around searching for a hint. There! She found a familiar crest. Thank God she was good in history. "Lord Asakura."

"And the lady on my right?" he asked. Mai didn't know what to answer. She heard her fake-father call her Aiko, but aside that, she didn't have any information on her. The girl decided to give up.

"I don't remember." she answered. The lord scowled. Aiko looked at Mai in shock. The doctor shook his head sadly and turned to lord Asakura.

"My lord, the accident may have caused some severe memory damage. Will the princess regain her lost memories, I cannot say. The best cure would be time. It would be wise to take the princess to familiar places; it could help the memories to come back to her, but I cannot promise anything." said the doctor looking at Mai with genuine compassion.

There was silence once again. The lord looked as if he was battling with the thoughts.

"It must be kept secret. If it was known that the princess and my only child cannot remember even the woman who has raised her, the dignity of the Asakura family would be put in jeopardy. I cannot take such risk. The only ones who know about my daughter's… condition, are us three. I trust you to keep silence." said the lord. "Oh, great," thought Mai, "They're not counting me."

"Amayami," Lord Asakura turned to Mai. The girl flinched as he surprised her. "It is important that you do not let anyone know that there is something wrong with you. You may rely on me, Aiko or doctor Ryukamura. We will make sure no one will discover the truth about your illness. Do you understand?"

"Umm… I think so." answered Mai unsure.

She was still unsure what was going on, but she was glad that the lord and the rest took care of keeping her identity hidden. God, if they only knew the whole truth…

"It is settled then." stated her fake father. "I shall meet my advisors now, and Aiko, take care of Amayami."

With those words, he marched out of the room, followed by the rat-like doctor. Mai was left with the stern-looking woman. The girl stared back at her, not wanting to be the first to break the silence. The old woman cleared her throat.

"I imagine that you must be tired, Amayami. Would you like to rest in your quarters?" she asked.

No way. Mai wasn't going to let that woman lock her in the room. She had to look around and find out where exactly she was. Now or never.

"Actually," she started. "I would feel better if I had a stroll outside. The doctor said himself that I should look around for the memories to come back." she tried to sound as convincing as possible. The older woman sighed. She obviously wasn't happy about the perspective of the walk.

"Very well, Amayami. Let's go then."

For the next hour Mai and the older woman were walking around the castle, barely saying a word to each other. The place was huge and looked like no other medieval castle Mai had seen. This one was fully decorated with the most beautiful pieces of furniture and art and looked disturbingly… new. All the castles Mai had seen so far were much poorer and this one actually looked like a castle would in the feudal era. The servant and nobles were dressed in kimonos, the last ones in very expensive ones, like the one she was wearing. Mai shivered at the thought that the clothes on her back were probably worth more than all she possessed back at home.

"Aiko-san?" Mai spoke up. "Can we go outside the castle?"

"Hime-sama!" the woman scolded Mai. "You want to go to the village? You could get yourself dirty! But… I think it is fine, if it is for your health."

Mai and Aiko went outside the gates, passing by armed guardsmen. The older woman was complaining all the time – about the dirt on the ground, about noise or the peasant's lack of manners. They were walking across the village situated next to the castle. The people there were staring at them and pointing at her with their fingers, whispering. Mai also noticed that they were bowing all the time and avoided looking her in the eye. Such strange behavior annoyed her, but it wasn't really surprising. She was dressed like a princess and her hair was so long that it reached her knees. The village itself looked like a museum, but it was much livelier here. All the people here had similar peasant clothing and hairstyles – all the men had traditional Japanese ponytails. In the present time no one has that anymore. Present day?

"Oh crap," thought panicked Mai, "It's a freaking time slip. The damn mirror wasn't fake, and it must have switched my and this princess's souls. Dear God, I'm in the feudal era!" She paled and Aiko noticed it.

"Amayami? Child, you are so pale! Let us go back to the castle!" she said, dragging her along.

Mai wasn't in a state to think clearly on the way back to the castle. Why must all the bad things happen to me? Why was it me who was sent to the feudal era by some freaky magic, not, for example, Kagome? Why me? Mai knew that she had to think of a plan. Objective number one: stay alive. Objective number two: go home. Sounds like a plan. Mai had an idea of what would happen if the lord and the people here found out that she was not the real princess: decapitation. So she had to act like a real princess would. That wouldn't be so hard. Thankfully, the lord himself solved that problem for her. To go home, she had to figure out how to get that cursed mirror working.

She was almost in her quarters when she heard a commotion around a sobbing woman.

Aiko rushed into her room and Mai followed her. They found a servant sitting on the floor and leaning over something, trying to pick it up. The woman looked at her with teary eyes and guilt on her face.

"My lady, please, forgive me," she pleaded. "The gift from Gorouza-dono… I was cleaning and…"

She tried to say something more, but it was no longer audible. Then Mai looked at what exactly the woman tried to pick up. Her eyes widened. Fragments of the mirror! Mai leaned heavily against the wall, processing what she just saw: the mirror shattered, her way home! There must be some other way. There must be one and she had to find it. She will.

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**Present day, Higurashi shrine.**

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Kagome went towards the storage house, carrying rice balls from her mother. She was sure Mai would also appreciate a little snack.

"Mai!" she called. "I've got rice balls. Want one?"

Nobody answered. Kagome got nervous all of a sudden and stormed into the storage house. Mai was lying on the floor unconscious. Next to her was the mirror. Kagome checked Mai's pulse. All right. Her heart was beating and she was breathing. The girl looked once more at the looking glass. She had a bad feeling about this.

Mai moaned and her eyes slowly opened.

"Mai!" Kagome exclaimed. "Are you all right?"

Mai looked at Kagome's face, then down at her school uniform and finally around the room, and she screamed. Kagome tried to calm her down, but that only made matters worse. Panicked, Mai backed away from Kagome.

"Who are you?" she screamed. "Answer me this instant!"

Kagome didn't know what to think. Mai didn't recognize her?

"I'm Kagome, your friend. Mai, don't joke…"

"Mai?" Mai looked confused and slightly angry. "How dare you speak to me in that manner? I am a princess, the daughter of a powerful warlord! What do you want with me, youkai?"

"So… you are not Mai?" asked Kagome slowly.

Damn. Grandpa and his artifacts.


	5. Feudal Era

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha**

**Author Notes: ****This is a re-uploaded version, corrected by my beta-reader NAMA4321. (Thank you very much!)**

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**Chapter 5**

**Feudal Era**

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"Amayami, concentrate!" the old crone nagged. Mai frowned and tried to hide a yawn unsuccessfully.

"Hmm?" she asked. Aiko glared at her with annoyance.

"What happened to you? You seem to be a completely different person! You need to behave yourself." the woman scolded Mai as the girl looked once again at the remains of the mirror. "Let us go through it once again. All of your servants have been released from their duty, so you can count only on my help. If you are without my or your father's company, stay in your quarters or in your garden. Is it understood?"

"Mhm," mumbled Mai, not taking eyes off the mirror. She was lost in thought. To be honest, she didn't have a clue on how to start figuring out a way home. Ask somebody? No, she doubted it would work. The best idea would be to learn something about that cursed mirror and maybe something similar to it. She needed a library.

"Aiko-san? Is there a library here?" she asked. The older woman gave her a warning look.

"You weren't listening, were you?" she fumed. "And yes, there is your father's library. If you want, I could take you there tomorrow."

Mai furrowed her brows. She was way too impatient and wanted to start the work right away. She tried to put on her pleading face and make puppy eyes.

"Can't you do it today? Please, Aiko-san? Please, please…"

Aiko sighed. What has gotten into this girl? Before the accident she was a gentle, polite lady and now she was rude and feisty. The woman had no idea why Amayami was so insistent on visiting the library, but she couldn't really resist that innocent and pleading look. Perhaps the girl wanted to read a romance to pass the time.

"I agree. Follow me and memorize the route. After you finish, return here on your own, and do try avoiding conversation with people along the way."

"I promise!" Mai clapped her hands and got quickly on her feet.

Aiko led her to the library. It wasn't as impressive as Mai expected, but there were numerous books and scrolls on the shelves. Mai didn't even notice when Aiko left. Fascinated, she was picking up tomes and scrolls, looking at maps. This was heaven. Some of the books must be really old!

She jumped as she heard a weird sound behind her. She turned around, her heart beating like crazy. There was a really old man standing. Mai would say he looked like he was over a hundred years old, and he was grinning toothlessly at her.

"Amayami-hime," he said with great effort in a hushed voice. "It is a pleasure to see you here, especially when you appear here not too often. What brings you here?"

"Ehm," mumbled Mai. It may prove helpful to get this old man to cooperate. "I'm looking for a book, scroll, anything… about mirrors, mystical things, time travelling… that kind of fantastical thing…"

"Oh," the old man coughed and let out a few hissing breaths. He looked baffled by Mai's request. "I am afraid that I cannot help you, hime-sama. I have here treaties, works about economics, politics and history, poetry and romance, but none of the mystical works. The lords of Asakura family were never fond of the myths and tales. Why would a young lady like you take interest in such an unusual matter?"

"No reason." answered Mai as she shifted uncomfortably under the man's scrutiny. "Do you know where could I find them?"

"Let me think." The old librarian scratched his bald head, "I believe that the old priest has a small collection; he may be of assistance to you, hime-sama."

"All right." said Mai energetically and rested her hands on her hips. "Where is he?"

"There, where he always is," answered the old man, slightly confused, "In the temple on the outskirts of village."

"Thank you!" exclaimed Mai.

She was still far from finding the answers, but at least she knew where to start to look. Now she needed an excuse to go to that temple, preferably alone. She tried to go back to her quarters, but somewhere along the way she must have taken the wrong turn and now she was lost. Her sense of direction wasn't her strength. Mai took a turn left and found herself in the courtyard. There were a couple of nobles strolling and talking to each other. All the faces were unfamiliar except one – Lord Asakura! Mai's fake father was deep in conversation with some guy that was wearing overly (is there a missing word here?) and somewhat feminine clothes. She kept in mind that she had to keep the façade of being a princess. She went towards lord Asakura, trying to appear graceful. She positioned herself in a place where she could be seen by him. She didn't have to wait long. Her fake father finished conversation and walked to Mai.

"Amayami, what are you doing here? You should be in your quarters." he hissed, glancing nervously at other nobles.

"Father," Mai started cautiously. "I got lost, but I actually wanted to speak with you. There is a temple in the outskirts of the village, and I thought that I could pray there for my memories to return."

"Amayami," the lord looked at first furious, but now his expression softened. "I understand that you are eager to get better, but it is a long way and it would be tiring…"

"I know." Mai interrupted him. "I am convinced that I can get there alone. I can do it, and I wouldn't bother you or Aiko or that doctor…"

"You want to go alone?" Lord Asakura whispered, shocked, as though Mai said she would travel across the entirety of Japan, not a small village. Mai decided not to give up.

"It's not that far, and no one would dare to hurt a princess. Besides, I feel confined here and I think my health is worsening from it."

The argument about health was decisive. The Lord wasn't really warmed up to the idea of the princess roaming around the village, but it seemed that he couldn't say no to his only daughter.

"I will agree, but I will send a bodyguard with you. I will choose someone, who has not yet met you. Now go to your room."

Mai bowed and happily rushed from where she came. She was so pleased with herself because of her small victory that she didn't notice that she was still lost. "Oh shit. I don't have a choice but to ask someone to show me the way." She chose a young girl as her target and stalked to her.

"Ekhem," she coughed to get girls attention. The girl looked up in horror, surprised and scared.

"My lady?" she asked; her voice was shaking.

"Can you walk me to my room?" Mai asked and tried to look weak. "I don't feel well."

The girl jumped up and led Mai, supporting her at the same time. When they got there, Mai thanked the girl and went into her room. She stretched and yawned loudly.

"Where were you?" the voice of the furious Aiko made Mai jump and let out a shriek. "I searched for you everywhere!"

"You scared me!" Mai accused her. "I got lost! It was not my fault, so don't shout at me!"

"Amayami!" Aiko was shocked. "What a behavior! You shall spend tomorrow all day in your room."

"Ha!" Mai shouted back, the satisfied look on her face. "Actually I am not. I'm going to a temple tomorrow."

"I will not allow it." said Aiko, glaring sternly at Mai, surprised at how the princess defied her. The Amayami she knew would never behave like that.

"Too late. Father already allowed it." Mai announced smugly. The old crone frowned and made her way to the exit.

"I am disappointed in you, Amayami. I raised you to be a graceful and polite lady. I feel sorrow when I look at you now." Aiko said quietly and locked the door behind her as she left.

Mai couldn't help but feel a little ashamed. She decided to try to act more like Amayami from now on. She wondered how the princess was doing, who was sent into her own world…

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**Present day, Higurashi Shrine**

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"Amakusa, Asakura, Azai…" muttered Kagome, as she searched through her history textbook.

"What are you doing, Kagome?" demanded Inuyasha as he moved his foot impatiently. "We should be on the other side of the well right now searching for that bastard Naraku! You said earlier we will be going back today!"

"Osuwari," said Kagome firmly as Inuyasha was slammed against the floor. She rolled her eyes as the hanyou started muttering curses under his nose and growling. "I've already told you. We must find my friend first. Mai is right now scared and alone in the feudal era and I don't have a clue where because that idiot of a princess won't tell me who she is! She thinks that we are youkai who will have power over her once we know her name!"

"Anyway, you don't have to hurry." Inuyasha pointed out. "If your friend switched places with a princess, she is safe in a castle, so there is no way any youkai would eat her."

"True." agreed Kagome, deep in thought. "It may take some time for the princess to trust us. The more we try to get her name out of her, the more stubborn she is."

"Kagome!" Inuyasha said. Kagome sighed.

"I guess that the princess needs some time. In the meantime, we'll get going to search for Naraku. Come on, we don't want to make Sango, Miroku and Shippo wait for us."


	6. The temple

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha**

**Author Notes: ****This is a re-uploaded version, corrected by my beta-reader NAMA4321. (Thank you very much!)**

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**Chapter 6**

**The temple**

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Mai yawned and sat up. The sun had already risen. She washed herself in the bathing room and wrapped a towel around her body. She smiled as she found a breakfast on the table. Aiko must have sneaked into her room and brought it over when Mai was asleep. "That woman must be ninja," she thought, amused. Humming some song, the girl walked to the room where the clothes were. Mai took one thin white kimono, which served as underwear, and wondered what to wear. She decided that putting a pile of thick silk kimonos was definitely a no. Besides, they were heavy and limited movement. She settled for a plain-looking green kimono. It went rather nicely with her eyes and didn't draw too much attention. She put the clothes on and tied them with a dark-green obi. She looked at her reflection in the large mirror. Nice. The clothes were beautiful. The long hair she now had was also pretty, but very bothersome. She was nearly strangled in the night by it. After she confirmed that she was looking quite presentable, she hurried to the castle gates. She was surprised today because she didn't get lost even once.

Mai spotted a young man looking around nervously. Rather a boy than a man. He looked like he was her age, dressed in samurai attire, and armed with a sword. His face was round, rather boyish, but quite handsome. He had honest brown eyes and black hair gathered in a ponytail. Mai waved to him and came closer.

"Hello. Are you my bodyguard?" Mai asked him casually.

The boy blushed and got even more nervous.

"Amayami-hime?" he asked unsurely. Mai nodded.

"Yes. It's me. And you are…"

"Hiroyoshi Shinji." he answered immediately.

"I can call you Shinji, right? Come on, don't fall behind!" Mai called to him as she already set off for temple. Shinji trailed behind her.

As they walked across the village, Mai thought that it would be a good idea to ask the young samurai about this world. She knew something from the history textbooks, but Shinji would surely tell her something from another point of view.

"Shinji, are there a lot of dangers outside the castle?" She asked and observed as the boy's face was getting red.

"Umm, yes. The families are warring with each other, so there are the enemy's armies, robbers in the forests and youkai waiting to devour unlucky travelers."

"Youkai?" laughed Mai. God, the boy is superstitious. "Have you seen one?"

"No, but I've heard stories about them!" he exclaimed, ready to defend himself. "And their favorite foods are little children and princesses."

"I don't believe you." stated Mai. "Youkai exist only in people's imagination."

"Don't say such things because you will be spirited away by one, hime." warned Shinji in his most serious tone. "Those matters are not ones to be joked with."

"I can't imagine a youkai who would want to kidnap me." said Mai rolling her eyes.

Shinji turned out to be a good companion, but he was unbearable at times and insisted that he would protect her anytime. They got to the temple at last. It was a thirty minute walk from castle. The temple was small and unkempt. Mai entered inside and Shinji followed her.

"Hello?" called Mai, looking around the large empty room, with the exception of the large wooden statue of Buddha with golden paint.

The floor was dusty and rather dirty. The temple needed some cleaning. Then Mai noticed a fat man lying in the corner. She went to him cautiously, Shinji right behind her. She leaned over the priest and poked him gently. He snored. Mai grabbed his shoulders and shook him violently. The priest's eyes snapped open and he yelled.

"What the hell are you doing, stupid girl?" he yelled. Mai opened the mouth to talk back, but Shinji was faster. He drew his sword and pointed it at the monk's throat.

"Be respectful while talking to the princess. This honorable woman is Amayami-hime, the daughter of the great lord… "

"Enough!" shouted Mai, and she gave Shinji her most threatening look. "Put down the sword, Shinji, now! And skip the introduction."

"So you are the princess?" asked the priest, glancing nervously at the young samurai. "You are different from what I've heard about you. I didn't expect a princess to have such a temper."

"Don't flatter me. I need your help." stated Mai. She looked at her companion and smiled. "Shinji, could you clean the temple in the meantime?"

Mai explained to the priest what she was looking for while Shinji was sweeping floors. At least the young samurai was being kept busy. The priest seemed to be surprised by Mai's request, but he agreed to search the books together with Mai. The two of them were roaming through the contents of the temple's small library.

"A mirror, you say?" asked the priest. Mai nodded while taking another scroll from the shelf.

"Yes, in a pentagonal shape, plain, wooden frame. I got it from my fiancé and heard it was made to look like a mythical soul swapping mirror, so I was curious."

"Curious creature you are." muttered the priest. "I'm afraid, that my knowledge won't suffice, but in two weeks my friend will come. He used to study the trees of ages, so he could help you with satisfying your curiosity about time-travelling."

"Trees of ages?" asked Mai, wondering if she had heard that expression before.

"For those trees, the time flows differently, but ask me no more. You will have to wait two weeks."

Mai nodded, disappointed. Two weeks? Two weeks seemed like an eternity. Besides, she didn't want to stay in the castle and avoid Aiko all the time.

"Hime-sama?" asked the fat man. "You're welcome to come anyway. I would love to have my temple cleaned by your bodyguard and you could use a little freedom, couldn't you?"

.

**Meanwhile, in another part of Japan**

.

"Kagome!" exclaimed Shippo happily as Inuyasha helped Kagome get out of the Bone Eaters' Well. Demon slayer Sango and monk Miroku also hurried to greet the schoolgirl. Kagome opened her large yellow backpack and started distributing the usual presents: Sango got a bottle of strawberry shampoo, Miroku a soda, Shippo a bag of sweets, and Inuyasha fished for the bag of chips himself, ripped it open and started stuffing them in his mouth.

"Guys," Kagome started, "While I was in my time, something happened. My friend probably got sent to the feudal era and we need to find her."

Her words caused quite a commotion. Shippo and Sango were asking numerous questions; Miroku was curious too, and Inuyasha concentrated on devouring food while Kagome's attention was set on something else. Kagome raised her hand and gave everyone her scary look. The little group fell silent.

"I'll explain now." She said with her hands on her hips, "Her soul apparently got switched with a mystic soul-switching mirror. In her body is now a princess from the feudal era and Mai must be here somewhere. The mirror isn't working anymore; we tried that many times already. I also don't know the identity of the princess, so…"

"Wait," Sango interrupted. "Can't you just ask the princess who she is?"

"Feh!" Inuyasha spoke up as he finished eating. "We tried, but the wench keeps screaming: 'I will not tell you my name, mononoke; if I do, you will devour my soul!'"

"Actually, you are a mononoke, Inuyasha." Shippo reminded the hanyou, folding his little arms. Inuyasha snatched him by his fluffy tail and started bullying him. Kagome sighed.

"As Inuyasha said, we tried, but it may take some time to gain her trust. In the meantime, we could just search for her and the jewel shards. I've brought her photo; we can ask people along the way if they saw her. Mai is the princess's incarnation, so they should look alike."

"Sounds like a plan." Agreed Miroku, examining the photo Kagome handed him.

"Feh! Sounds like a waste of time!" shouted Inuyasha. Kagome looked at him with her death-glare. The rest of the group sighed, knowing what was coming.

"Osuwari!" shouted Kagome. "Inuyasha, you idiot!"


	7. The little thief

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha**

**Author Notes: ****This is a re-uploaded version, corrected by my beta-reader NAMA4321. (Thank you very much!)**

.

.

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**Chapter 7**

**The little thief**

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The daily visits to the temple became Mai's routine. She found it refreshing. She would walk and joke with Shinji. The young samurai was annoying at times, but was a good buddy. Thankfully, he was able to get rid of his habit of blushing every time Mai spoke to him. The days were quite peaceful. Shinji was slaving to get the temple clean. Mai was conversing with the priest or ventured on little excursions to the village and to a nearby meadow. The view was indeed breathtaking. Mai had never seen such a vivid green.

This time, Mai peeked carefully and saw Shinji cleaning the statue of Buddha. She silently made her way to the exit and went to see what was happening in the village. Unfortunately, she didn't manage to conceal her identity from the villagers. Her kimono was plain navy blue but made of fine fabric, and of course there was the hair reaching her knees. It was obvious that only a princess would have such hair. The peasants were treating her friendly, but with reverence, always careful not to disrespect her. Mai wished she could cut the damn hair. It would be easier to walk and she would look more like herself. However, if she was going to be a fake princess, she couldn't do it.

Mai stopped by the market to buy some apples. Her stomach started demanding food loudly. The woman selling fruit smiled at her cheerfully.

"Are you hungry, my lady? The peaches are very tasty today!"

"Actually, I wanted apples…" muttered Mai, as the woman was already packing peaches in a fabric bag along with apples and a couple of dried plums. Mai reached for a pocket in her sleeve to take out money and pay the woman for the fruit.

"It's for free!" The fruit seller declined money. "I wouldn't take a single coin from Amayami-hime!"

"Look…" started Mai, "I have a lot of these and you are earning your living by selling fruit. Take the money already and buy something for your kids!"

Mai shoved the coins into the woman's hand, who stared at her with wide eyes. Eventually, she accepted, smiling thankfully and offered a discount for the next time.

Mai took an apple from the bag and started eating. It tasted completely different than the apples from her time. It was juicier and the flavor of the fruit was strong. Generally, the food here was better than in the 21st century. Plus, the air was cleaner than back in Tokyo. Perhaps Mai could use a little vacation here. A couple of weeks won't hurt, will they? Taking another bite, Mai made her way towards the temple

Mai was so deep in thought she didn't really notice the commotion behind her.

"Thief! Catch the thief!" yelled some men.

As she turned her head to see what was going on, a small shape darted past her. The apple slipped out of Mai's hand and the girl inwardly cursed as she saw her lunch lying on the dirt. Then the group of pursuers ran past her and Mai struggled to keep herself on her feet.

"Idiots," she mumbled and stalked in the direction where the men went. Anyway, it was the same direction she was heading.

She heard the group of men shouting curses and threats as they gathered in a circle. The thief they were pursuing was presumably in the middle of it. Beside her, there were a couple of onlookers standing. The men were beating the thief.

"Maybe it's a criminal," thought Mai, "but they are going to kill the man." She looked around, but no one was about to intervene. She took a deep breath and rushed forward.

"What is going on here?" she demanded, shoving the two big peasants aside. Mai gasped when she saw the actual criminal.

A little girl, not older than eight years old, was trying to shield herself with her arms from the attackers. She had ruffled black hair with a little ponytail on one side, and she wore an orange kimono of rather fine fabric. Mai could feel anger boiling in her.

"Are you insane?" she shouted at the men, pushing herself between them and the girl. "How could you beat a little child? And you are calling yourself men?"

"Move aside, woman!" ordered one of the pursuers.

Mai glared at him furiously, standing her ground. No way. She would let them beat up this girl. The man rushed towards Mai, but his companions grabbed him and started dragging him back.

"You fool!" shouted somebody from the crowd. "Don't you know who she is? You will get executed!"

The attackers weren't so eager anymore to beat the little thief. They must have known better than to attack the princess. Mai sent them one more angry glare and leaned over the girl. She patted her back to calm her.

"It's all right now. I won't let them hurt you." she said gently to the kid. The girl lifted her head to look at Mai. She glanced hopefully with big chocolate eyes. "God, she has the best puppy-eyes, I have ever seen." Mai thought.

Mai stood up and looked at the crowd. They were still standing there as if they had nothing better to do. One of the men stepped out.

"It's a thief you are protecting; she stole from my stall!" the man said angrily, spitting on the ground. Mai couldn't believe that such an innocent-looking child could be a thief but decided not to argue. She sighed and reached to her pocket.

"Here you go. It should be more than enough." she said giving him three golden coins. "Now let's forget about the whole mess. The show is over!"

The village people started to return to their daily routine. Mai kneeled in front of girl and examined her. She seemed to be okay, bruises at most.

"It's not right to steal from people, you know?" she asked the kid. The girl stared at her feet.

"I was hungry." she said quietly. Mai felt pity for this child. She fished an apple from her bag and gave it to the girl. The child stared at the apple and then at Mai, unsure of whether or not to accept the fruit.

"Come on, I won't let you starve, kid." said Mai, smiling and trying to encourage the girl. The child eventually flashed a wide smile, muttered a quiet "thank you" and took the apple. She nearly swallowed the fruit. "She must have been starving," thought Mai, passing another apple to the child.

In the end, Mai and the little girl with a big appetite were sitting on the temple stairs and eating fruit. Well, Mai was mostly staring at the child, who ate the entire supplies.

"Wow, you were sure hungry." stated Mai. The girl nodded happily and smiled at her.

"Thank you. It was yummy!" said the kid smiling even wider. Mai thought she was the cutest child she had ever seen. She couldn't believe that anyone would even think of hurting her.

"I'm glad that you liked it. Oh, and by the way, I'm Mai." Mai cursed inwardly as she realized that she had just said her real name instead of the princess's.

"Nice to meet you, Mai." said the cute kid. "I'm Rin!"


	8. A new friend

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha**

**Author notes:**

**Thanks for the positive response. **

**Here's another chapter, as promised. Please, send me more reviews! (Sesshomaru will appear very soon)**

**Chapter 8**

**A new friend**

Mai watched the girl called Rin. She was a sweet child, but there was something wrong about her. Mai scanned her with her eyes. The kid had bare feet, a few bruises. Then Mai realized it. The kid had too expensive clothes to be a common village thief. Or maybe she stole the kimono as well?

"Rin" said Mai to the girl. "It was a pleasure to meet you, but it's getting late. I think it's time to return you to your parents. You don't want to worry them, do you?"

Rin looked up at Mai with a sadness in her eyes and hung her head.

"I don't have parents." She said quietly. Mai opened her eyes wider. She knew, how it was to be alone on the world. The girl felt compassion for the child. She reached out and embraced Rin. The little girl seemed to be surprised with the sudden show of affection.

"Poor thing." said Mai quietly. Rin smiled and hugged Mai as well.

"I'm not sad." said Rin. "My mother, my father and my brothers are dead, but Sesshomaru-sama is taking care of Rin."

Mai released the kid from embrace and looked at girl. She must be a strong one, she lost all her family at such young age... And yet she put on a brave face.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" asked Mai, wondering, if he was the girl's relative or a neighbor perhaps. Rin's eyes lit up at the mention of this name.

"Yes, he's strong and kind. He will always protect Rin." she exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Wow, seems like an amazing person. Where is he now?" Mai asked.

"He's gone for a while and he told Rin to stay here." Answered Rin.

"He left you alone?" asked Mai. What an idiot would leave an eight-year old without care and take off somewhere?

"He will come back. For sure." said Rin smiling to herself.

"Do you live somewhere in the village?" asked curious Mai.

"No." Rin shook her head. "We travel all the time."

"Travel? That's interesting." said Mai. She thought, that travelling with such small child was a bit irresponsible. "So, tell me, Rin, what is exactly Sesshomaru-sama's occupation? What does he do?"

Rin didn't respond right away. She looked at the nearby trees, thinking of an answer.

"He's a warrior, I think." she answered finally. Mai got even more interested.

"A wandering samurai? Does he have a sword?" the girl kept asking. Rin clapped her hands.

"Even two!" she exclaimed with joy and relaxed even more.

Soon Mai learned, that Rin was travelling with a samurai called Sesshomaru, his servant Jaken and horse Ah-Un. The boss – that Sesshomaru – was pursuing some evil guy and fighting him from time to time. The kid adored the Sesshomaru guy. Whenever she mentioned him, her eyes would brighten up and she would blabber how awesome he was. From Rin's story Mai figured out, that the samurai saved Rin's life and now the child is following him.

"Rin, where do you sleep?" Mai asked the kid.

"In the forest." The little girl answered, shrugging her shoulders, as if it was the most usual thing in the world. Mai, on the other hand, was shocked by the thought of a child spending a night alone in the forest.

"That's too dangerous." stated Mai. "You should come with me, I can find you a nice room with a soft bed."

Rin, to Mai's surprise, opposed to the idea strongly. She shook her head stubbornly.

"Sesshomaru-sama told Rin to stay with the forest with Ah-Un and wait for him and Jaken-sama." she told Mai.

"The forest is dangerous in the night!" Mai argued. "Stay at the temple then."

"Rin will stay in the forest." the girl repeated patiently.

Mai opened mouth to argue more, but closed it. She supposed, it was no point in arguing with a child. Rin seemed to be a very stubborn little person, who was going to do everything her caretaker said. However, Mai couldn't just leave the girl alone. In the night she would be cold and starving.

"Rin, wait for me here. I will be right back." said Mai and climber the stairs leading to the temple.

She looked around for a piece of paper and something to write with. Then she made a list of everything a little girl could need while camping in the forest. She read it one again and added two more things.

"Shinji!" she called. "SHINJI!"

The scared samurai rushed through the door, nearly breaking it down. His face and hands were dirty, he was out of breath.

"I want you to get me things from this list as quickly as possible." she said, shoving the piece of paper into his hand. Baffled samurai looked at a list, then at Mai.

„Amayami-hime" He started. "My duty is to protect you."

"I'll be fine." Mai interrupted him and narrowed her eyes. She gave him her best scary look. "I will be very, very displeased if you fail me."

Shinji bowed quickly and ran out of the temple, nearly breaking his neck, as he tripped on the stairs. Rin looked at him with wide eyes. Mai waved to her.

"Rin, I think he'll be running errands for a some time, so what do you want to do?" asked Mai.

Rin flashed a cute smile at her.

"Mai-sama has very pretty hair. Can I braid it?" the little girl pleaded.

Mai sighed and reached out for her bag. She fished a comb out of it and handed over to Rin, who squeaked gleefully. After a while Mai fought not to fall asleep, as the kid was combing her hair. It felt so good….

"Rin?" Mai said sleepily, as she was getting more and more relaxed.

"Yes, Mai-sama?"

"Don't call me Mai-sama. It makes me feel old. It's Mai, just Mai."

"All right, Mai!" said Rin cheerfully, almost singing.

The girl took a red ribbon out of her sleeve and started decorating Mai's head with it. She and Mai chatted a little. Mai found the company of Rin very pleasant. Perhaps it was because the kid was cheerful and talkative. In fact, the child's mouth seemed not to close, but Mai didn't mind. Kid's blabbering was quite relaxing. Moreover, Rin was the first person in the feudal era to call Mai by her real name. She studied lazily the surroundings. The older girl narrowed her eyes. No doubt – Shiji was returning with a large back on his back. He ran to the place, the both girls were sitting, fighting to catch breath. Rin hid herself behind Mai's back. The young samurai took the bag off his back and put it at Mai's feet.

"Amayami-hime, there's everything, you wanted." He managed to say. "We must return to the castle before the sun sets."

Mai opened the bag and examined the contents. She nodded her head with approval.

"Good job, Shinji. Rin, no need to be afraid. You can stop hiding behind me."

At her words Rin hesitantly stepped away from Mai, not taking eyes of the young samurai, as though she was expecting him to attack her.

"Rin, that's for you." said the older girl, pushing the bag towards the child. "Inside are things you will need, if you want to sleep in the forest. I will be going now."

"Will you come tomorrow?" the little girl asked quickly, hope in her voice.

"Sure I will." answered Mai, ruffling her hair. "I'll be here every day. See you tomorrow, kid!"

Rin watched as Mai walked away towards the castle accompanied by a young man, who looked like a samurai. She smiled to herself and dragged the heavy bag to her camp through the bushes. The dragon-like creature with two heads stopped eating grass and lifted heads. It walked to her and sniffed her curiously. Rin laughed and petted each of his two heads.

"Hello, Ah-Un." Rin said to the dragon-youkai. "I'm sorry I left you. Do you know, that I found a new friend today? Her name is Mai and she's really nice and brave. You would like her! Tomorrow I'll see her again!"

Ah-Un made a peculiar sound.

"No, Ah-Un," said the girl. "You can't come with me. Mai mustn't know, that I'm with youkai."


	9. Spring days

**Here's a Sunday update. Please send me your reviews.**

Chapter 9

Spring days

On the next day Mai got up earlier and prepared herself to set off for temple, what she was doing during the whole last week. She hummed happily, eager to meet Rin and play with the child. The girl put on a simple red kimono and dashed of the room.

She nearly fell on the floor, as she crashed with Aiko in the doorway. The old crone narrowed her eyes and stared her down with displeased glare.

"Amayami, it is your father request, that you see him. He's awaiting you in the gardens." The old woman said dryly, motioning Mai to follow her.

Mai couldn't not notice, that Aiko showed her disapproval of the girls clothing.

"You are dressed like a peasant girl, not like a princess." Snapped Aiko. Mai only shrugged her shoulders at the critics.

"It would be a nuisance to walk to the temple every day in all those layers." she responded, taking another turn and almost jogging to catch up with Aiko, who had longer legs than her. The older woman frowned.

"I do not understand, why you insist on walking. You could ride in a palanquin, you know it well. If the circumstances were different, I would advise also to take a couple of servants."

"The bodyguard is more than enough." responded Mai. "And walking is good for my health. Anyway, what does father want?"

"Show some respect!" the older woman scolded the girl. "He will tell you himself. We are almost there."

Aiko led Mai to the beautifully designed garden. Among sakura trees Lord Asakura was walking, furrowing brows, as if the was battling with himself. Mai and the old crone hurried towards the Lord, who lifted his head and smiled, when he saw the girl.

"Amayami, my child, what an unusual attire." he noticed. Mai inwardly cursed to herself and plastered a fake smile on her face. She was going to end this as quickly as possible and go to the temple.

"It is a pleasure to see you, father. Forgive my attire, I was on my way to the temple to pray for my swift recovery." she said, trying to imagine, how a princess would do it. It seemed, she had done well, for the lord smiled with approval.

"Did you start to remember anything?" he asked with concern in the voice.

"Not yet, but a vague images began to come back to me." Mai lied. The lord shook sadly his head.

"I may need more praying." Added Mai. Her "father" nodded in agreement.

"Amayami, I need to discuss a serious matter with you. Lord Gorouza will arrive in a five days from now."

Mai felt slightly disturbed by a dead serious look on the lord's face. Gorouza? She was sure, that she heard that name already. Then it dawned on her.

"My fiancé?" she asked. Lord Asakura nodded and bit his lim.

"He is coming to discuss the wedding arrangements. You will need to see him."

"Wedding?" Mai exclaimed. Suddenly, she got nervous. She forgot, that she was in marriageable age according to the standards here, in the feudal era. And it was possible, that they will just marry her off. No way she would allow it!

"Calm yourself, child." Her fake father spoke up. "The wedding will held in two months from now. You will have the time to accustom to that thought. The problem is, that Lord Gorouza will wish to see you and you have met him before. He might notice, that you don't remember him."

The lord looked at Mai as she loudly sighed with relief. Mai smiled to herself. The monk, who will know, how to get her home, is arriving in a little bit over than a week and then she'll be back in her world. Therefore she was absolutely in no danger of getting married to some unknown warlord.

She noticed that Lord Asakura cleared his throat and waited for her to say something.

"Can't you tell him, that I lost memories?" Mai asked.

"If the truth, that princess of Asakura family is not in her right mental state, is revealed, I will lost all the respect and the pacts with our allies will be broken. You are my only child, Amayami, and a heiress to the family. The province of Echizen needs Lord Gorouza to protect our lands, when I will be no more among the living. And he needs a healthy wife to bear him strong sons." Responded Lord Asakura. Mai flinched at the mere thought of sons.

"Maybe you'll tell him, that I'm sick." Mai suggested.

"That is out of question, Amayami." The lord said sternly. "On the day of his arrival you are to greet him in good health. Aiko will tell you how you should behave in the company of lord Gorouza. Now you may take your leave."

Mai bowed and turned around, about to leave, when she felt Aiko's hand gripping her shoulder.

"I must educate you about lord Gorouza." – she insisted. Mai gave her a fake innocent smile.

"I want to go to the temple now. I'm late anyway." She insisted and freed herself from old woman's grip. "See you in the evening!"

Mai run out of the garden, towards the castle gates, leaving Aiko and Lord Asakura. The woman shook her head in disbelief.

"I cannot believe, what has become of this child." Aiko sighed. "I miss the old Amayami."

"Yes, she has changed." Agreed the lord, sorrowful expression on his face. "It feels like I have a son now, not a daughter. I cannot however blame her for that."

Mai lifted the hem of her kimono, not to trip, and ran through corridors at full speed. The servants were staring at her surprised, as she dashed past them. When she reached the gates, she was out of breath. She found her young bodyguard sitting and leaning himself against the castle wall, his eyes shut. Mai was pretty sure, that he was snoring as well. She kicked him with her foot.

"Get up, you lazy basta… guy!" she said loudly. Shinji's eyes snapped open and he stood up.

"Oh, morning, Amayami-hime, we're going? You were late."

"Oh really?" Mai answered sarcastically. "Now hurry!" she grabbed his sleeve and dragged him to the temple, where Rin was waiting for her.

As Mai hoped, the little girl in orange kimono was sitting on the temple stairs and singing a song. Mai felt relieved, that the kid survived the night in the forest. When Rin noticed the newcomers, she exclaimed Mai's name and run to the older girl.

"You came! I was scared, you would not come." The child chatted happily.

"You silly," Mai laughed. "I made a promise yesterday, didn't I? So what are we doing today?"

Rin started blabbering about her ideas for the day, happy to have Mai's attention. The older girl listened carefully to the kid, nodding from time to time.

"All right." Decided Mai, grabbing Rin's hand. "First we'll pick some flowers for the priest."

Rin nodded with excitement. Shinji, on the other hand, didn't seemed pleased with Mai's actions.

"What about praying? I did not see you do it at least once, hime!" he exclaimed, trying to block Mai's way. Mai rolled her eyes.

"I'll do it later." She said, trying to shove the young samurai aside. Shinji opened his mouth to protest, but then they heard the loud voice of the temple's priest.

"BOY! THE CELLAR IS WAITING FOR YOU TO CLEAN IT!" the voice of the old priest echoed among the trees. Shinji flinched and shot a scared glance in the direction of the priest. Mai smiled smugly and waved to him. Rin looked at her and copied the older girl.

"Have fun!" Mai said happily, heading for the nearby meadow with the little girl at her side.

Poor Shinji spend yet another day on the chores, that were given him by the old priest. The young man rested himself on the broom, taking a break in sweeping the courtyard and glanced worriedly at the trees, wondering if the princess was save. It was his duty to protect her all the time, but the young noblewoman constantly refused his service, always rushing off to the village or, like now, playing somewhere with that little orphan. He sighed heavily, feeling useless to the princess.

"She'll be fine." – said a voice beside him. Shinji abruptly turned his head and he noticed the priest, who appeared next to him out of nowhere and was eating a riceball. "A princess like her will use a little freedom from time to time. No need to worry, I'm sure she can take care of herself."

"I suppose." Answered Shinji with another sigh, unconvinced.

In the meanwhile Mai and Rin were having time of their lives. At first, they were picking some flowers and Rin insisted on decorating Mai's head with a flower garland. The older girl also tried to make one, but she failed. Actually, she had never made flower garlands before and it was her first time. She guessed however, that she can't put all the blame on her inexperience. She just didn't have a talent for that sort of things. Rin tried patiently to explain, how it should be done, without success.

The, they played together a little, mostly hide and seek. Rin was doing her best to teach Mai a song, she knew, but older girl refused constantly. She really didn't want to scare all the animals in the forest. Instead, she tried to play the flute, she brought back from the castle. Unfortunately, Rin was better at playing the instrument too. The little girl managed to talk Mai to dance while the child played flute. Mai started dancing, a bit stiff at the beginning, but then she let the melody to take over and she swirled graciously. Dancing was actually something, she was always good at. Her moves were fluent and harmonic. After a while she noticed, that the melody stopped an Rin was now gaping at her with awe. The child clapped her hands enthusiastically and pleaded Mai to teach her to dance some day.

The sun begun to set, before Mai knew it. "Damn" – she thought. - "I forgot about Aiko." Mai said quickly goodbye to her little friend and rushed to the temple to collect Shinji and get back in the castle.

The bushes around the meadow rustled, as something big moved among them. The little girl in orange kimono turned her head towards the source of suspicious noise, not showing any fear.

"You can come out now, Ah-Un!"

**Thanks for reading. In the next chapter our favorite demon will appear, so please stay tuned send me your reviews.**


	10. Betrothed

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha**

**Author notes: Thanks for the review, nana. Here's another chapter.**

Chapter 10

Betrothed

"Were were you?" Aiko greeted Mai, as the girl run into princess's quarters. The older woman stared her down with disapproval – Mai's plain kimono was now covered in dirt, her long hair terribly tangled, decorated with flowers. She was looking rather like a village harlot than a royal princess.

"I'm sorry…" started Mai, but Aiko silenced her with a stern look.

"Look at yourself." The older woman scolded her. "Do you intend Lord Gorouza to see you in this state? You should be pure and beautiful like a flower, graceful like a tennyo. I shall tolerate your trips to the village only because your honorable father accepted them, but I demand, that you show here without delay. Now sit and listen carefully. "

Mai decided, it was best not to argue with furious Aiko and listened, as the woman taught her court etiquette, shortened history of Echizen – pacts with the allies and wars declared upon enemies. That part of Aiko's teachings really interested Mai – the girl always liked history and understanding politics and economics came naturally to her, much to older woman's disbelief. Apparently, it was not the strong side of princess Amayami.

Then came the worse part. Aiko told Mai, how princess Amayami used to behave, what were her abilities and knowledge. From what she said, Mai concluded, that Amayami was quite a lady. Polite, gentle and shy. With Mai's attitude it would be difficult to pretend, but the girl was confident in her acting skills. If she managed to survive this far, she will do fine, when her betrothed will arrive. Princess's betrothed, she corrected herself. Mai caught herself a few times on thought, that she feeled like she was the princess always, the image of her own world blurring. She spent only nearly two weeks in feudal era, but the life here seemed more real than in her own world. The nagging of Aiko, joking with Shinji, meals with old priest, playing with Rin… all of this brought her more joy than anything other in 21st century. Perhaps except her friend – Kagome. Mai noticed, that she didn't have the time to spare her friend a single thought. "No, I didn't want to." The girl corrected herself. Suddenly it hurt so much, when Mai realized, that if she don't return to her world, she will never see Kagome again. Mai wondered, if the friend was also worrying for her.

"Amayami!" Aiko decided to regain Mai's attention.

Bored girl tried to hide a yawn, as she listened, that Amayami-hime could play erhu, flute, recite poetry and arrange flowers. So she needed avoid that at all costs. Mai also learned, how much the princess loved that Gorouza guy, even though she met him four times at least. Aiko decided to torture her with details of Amayami's life till late night. Finally the old crone left the quarters and Mai threw herself on the bed, not bothering to take off her stained clothes.

For the next week it has become Mai's daily routine: she would get up at dawn and walk with Shinji to the temple, where she ate breakfast with priest and then she would spend a day till late afternoon with Rin. Luckily, the young samurai didn't insisted on trailing behind her anymore, so she did everything, she wanted. She visited village – the people gave Rin cautious looks, but they went silent as Mai glared at them. Together with Rin they were fishing: Mai with fishing rod and Rin was somehow able to catch them with her own hands, what earned the older girl's respect. Mai tried to teach Rin the basic steps of the dance, but the child tripped constantly and couldn't keep up to the rhythm. The bonds between the two tightened and Mai was thinking now of Rin to be like a little sister and was enjoying her company.

Unfortunately, at sunset were starting lessons with Aiko, who tried to train Mai to be princess Amayami. The effect was quite miserable. Those evening lessons reminded Mai constantly, that the day of Gorouza's arrival was nearing and so was the arrival of monk's friend – a scholar, who could help her go home.

It was Lord Gorouza, who appeared first, much to Mai's dismay. This morning she couldn't go to meet the old priest and Rin, what alone caused her bad mood. In the morning Aiko with numerous servants stormed into her rooms and prepared he for the arrival of her betrothed. She was dressed in the most beautiful kimono, she has ever seen – light pink with roses embroidered on the sleeves and around the hem, and of course – numerous inner layers. The whole attire was heavy and made it difficult to move freely. Her hair was combed and decorated with elaborate, and obviously very expensive, hairpins. The maidservants applied also make-up, which made the girl's face visibly prettier.

Mai started to sweat as she was standing by the side of her fake father, surrounded by various nobles, whom she barely recognized and a flocking servants.

"Do you remember what to say?" Lord Asakura made sure, whispering. Mai nodded, frantically memorizing the lines she learned this morning. And then began the commotion. The column of mounted samurai rode through the gates, escorting a palanquin. The servants, who were carrying it, put it carefully on the ground and helped a man get outside. Mai held her breath. The man, who stepped out of it, presumably Gorouza, looked like he was in his late twenties. His attire was fancy, quite feminine and definitely very expensive, the precious jewels and gold sewed everywhere on the fabric. He was quite tall and his face was quite handsome. It had however that delicate expression, which Mai didn't like. He rushed gracefully towards Lord Asakura and the man exchanged traditional greetings. Then he looked at Mai with longing. The girl did her best to appear shy and glanced downwards desperately making her cheeks blush. Inwardly Mai was cursing the whole feudal era. She bowed with all grace she could manage.

"My Lord," she said in her softest voice, not stopping cursing in her mind. "I am grateful, that the fate let us meet. I am most impatient for our families to join in the sacred bond of our marriage." Mai repeated remembered lines. So far Gorouza didn't seem to suspect a thing. He smiled at her with his dashing smile, showing all teeth and told her the similar nonsense, she told him.

For the majority of the day various feasts and council meetings took place and Mai tagged along with Lord Asakura. The man did all the talking for her, thankfully. Her only task was to look good, that means like an ethereal being, the real princess seemingly was.

Mai avoided Lord Gorouza as much as she could. He was quite a charmer, but was definitely not the type, Mai could fall for. He reminded her of the most popular boys in her school – handsome, charming, but obnoxious.

Mai worried about Rin, too. She didn't have the chance to tell the kid, that today she will be stuck at the castle. Poor thing, she must be disappointed. If only Mai could find Shinji…

There he was! Mai smiled at her luck and decided, that it would be a sin, not to take a chance. She hurried towards the young samurai, who was leaning against the wall, bored out of his mind.

"Shinji!" Mai said his name, getting his attention. He opened his mouth, amazed how beautiful Mai looked in that attire, with make-up and nicely done hair.

"Don't stare at me." She scolded him, whispering. "I need your help. I must get to the temple to see Rin. Now."

Shinji was looking at her, as though she was crazy.

"Can't you wait till tomorrow?" he asked. Mai shook her head. "Amayami, the sun has just set and it's middle of the celebration! You can't possible go outside the castle now!"

"It's the perfect time. Everyone's drunk, the guards know you and we will be back in an hour! Shinji, please, do it for me." Mai pleaded.

She really needed his help. Without Shinji, she couldn't get out of the castle. The young samurai looked troubled, but in the end he agreed hesitantly. Together, they slipped out of the hall. Shinji made sure no one was looking and took off his outer kimono. He wrapped Mai in it to hide her identity and they rushed towards the gates. The guards recognized Shinji and weren't asking about anything. Mai and Shinji picked up the pace to get to the temple as soon as possible, along the way they almost didn't exchange a word. As they got to the temple Shinji spoke up.

"She's not here." He said looking at the surroundings of the temple, quite creepy at night. "Do you have idea, where she sleeps?"

"Uhm." Mai answered, furrowing her brows. "She led me there once. I should find a way, even in darkness."

Mai and the young samurai made their way to the forest. Mai was sure she lost her way couple of times, but eventually they found a camp. The place, where the camp used to be. The stones making a circle were where the fire was burning, remains of food laying neatly in a pile on one side of the small clearing.

"She's gone." Said Mai sadly. Rin's caretaker must have finally come and pick the girl up. Mai couldn't help feeling disappointed. She didn't have even a chance to say goodbye…

"Amayami-hime." Said Shinji. "We should be also on our way. The forest in the night is no place for a princess. You don't want to be eaten by youkai, do you?"

**Earlier that day**

Rin was sitting on the temple stairs, waiting for Mai. It was almost noon and the older girl still wasn't there. It was not like Mai to be so late, so maybe she won't come today at all? Rin sighed. It was rather lonely here. The old priest was in the village and she told Ah-Un to stay in the forest, out of sight.

Rin looked westwards and she saw two familiar silhouettes. They wasn't Mai and Shinji. Rin got up quickly and hurried towards them, her eyes bright with joy. On the edge of the forest were standing two demons. One was tall man, clad in armor and fine kimono, two swords by his side. White fur was attached to his right shoulder. The silver hair reached past his hips. On his face he had demon markings, two magenta stripes on the each cheek and blue crescent moon on his forehead. His eyes were golden, cold.

The other youkai was a green toad-like imp, clad in plain brown attire and carrying a strange staff – Nintoujyou. Rin ran happily and stopped before the tall inu youkai.

"Sesshomaru-sama, you're back." She exclaimed happily.

The demon looked at her, his face showed no emotion. He turned to the green imp.

"Jaken, get Ah-Un." He ordered. The one named Jaken rushed immediately into the forest, about to search for the two-headed dragon. Sesshomaru started walking away without a word. Rin skipped happily and was jogging next to him, to keep up to his pace.

"Rin." He addressed the girl, not looking at her. "In your camp were human items and there is a scent of another human clinging to you. Explain yourself."

"Oh." Rin set her sight on the ground, ashamed, that she didn't obey his orders. "I met a new friend. She saved me from the village people and got me a lot of things. Rin was a little lonely by herself and Mai played with me every day…"

Rin was explaining herself to Sesshomaru. Youkai said nothing, but he noticed the sad expression on her face as she was telling about her new friend. Judging by the smell, it was a grown female, a noble probably.

"Who is she?" the demon asked.

"Her name is Mai." Rin started reciting. "She is visiting the temple every day and Rin is her best friend! She has a pretty hair, really long and likes dancing. Oh, and she's a princess."

"Rin, let us go." He said to the girl, stopping her from blabbering.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama." She said, as she looked back one last time, regretting she will never see Mai again.


	11. Mai's problem and Rin's tears

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha**

**Author notes: Everyone thank you for reading my story and sorry for the constant teasing.**

Chapter 11

Mai's problem and Rin's tears

During next two days Mai managed somehow to avoid Gorouza. Unfortunately she didn't have the chance to leave the castle again, for Aiko was keeping an eye on her all the time. She sent Shinji every day to the temple instead, but the young samurai didn't bring any news of the arrival of the scholar. Mai felt like a bird in a cage and couldn't wait to return to her own time. She even missed math!

The girl sat in the garden and didn't notice, that her betrothed, whom she had been avoiding so carefully until now, made his way towards her.

"Amayami," he said, causing Mai to jump. "I am really happy to see you. Did you miss me?"

"Eh… sure." Answered slowly Mai, looking for an opportunity to escape. That Gorouza guy was smiling like an idiot and sat on the bench, much too close to Mai. Mai pushed herself further from him, but he sat even closer. His eyes were looking at her lovingly, what scared the shit out of her. The girl cursed inwardly and reminded herself, that she shouldn't blow her cover. "You are a butterfly, a butterfly, a damn butterfly." – she was repeating in her mind as she forced herself to smile shyly.

"And you missed me too?" she asked, trying to sound like a weak princess. The man flashed another smile at her and took her hand. Mai stared at him with visible disgust, what luckily was enough for him to let go of her hand.

"Of course, my love. It would ease my heart if you could sing for me." He said and was obviously expecting her to sing some song.

Damn, where is that old crone Aiko when you need her? Mai coughed.

"My throat is hurting today." She made an excuse. "And fingers too." She added quickly in case that idiot wanted her to play erhu, flute or whatever the real princess was playing.

Unfortunately, her fake betrothed got himself in a romantic mood. God, in her time she didn't have even one boyfriend back in her time. Why must it happen to her now?

"Do you remember what you said to me, when we first met?" he asked, hope in his eyes. Mai tried to wriggle away, as he tried to embrace her. She didn't notice, that she was already seating at the edge of the bench. She fell down with a loud "thud".

"Crap! Shit! Damn you, son of the bitch!" she screamed, shocked Gorouza looked at her with horror, not believing, that his Amayami knew such vocabulary. He tried to help the girl get back on her feet, but Mai slapped his hand and managed to do it herself. She sent him a poisonous glare and stalked away.

She was furious and the man only triggered accumulated anger. She had enough of this whole princess-acting, of all those people. The only one she could stand was Rin, but she will most probably never see the little girl again. She wished to meet her someday again.

"Be careful what you wish for. The wishes tend to come true in the most unexpected way." – her dad used to say it a lot. Mai didn't know why she remembered this out of sudden.

"Hime-sama!" a servant run towards her with a piece of paper in his hand. Mai took a letter, he handed to her. She noticed, that it was from the priest. She opened it quickly and read it.

My Lady,

We await you at the temple tomorrow at midday.

I have good news.

That was all. Good news? The two words caused Mai to be ecstatic! At last her misery will end and she will go home. Hell yes!

**Later, somewhere in the forest**

Sesshomaru was sitting, his back leaning against a tree and hand resting casually on his knee. His golden eyes reflected the rising sun. He turned his gaze to the camp. His servant Jaken was snoring loudly and Rin finally fell asleep as well, the tears still shone on her little face.

During the last three days the girl wasn't cheerful as always, but upset, obviously missing that human woman, she met in the village. At night she would cry herself to sleep, trying to hide it from Sesshomaru. The demon noticed with surprise, that it actually bothered him. Rin's sorrow made him feel uneasy. Why did he allow himself to be that distracted by a mere human child? The powerful youkai didn't know the answer, but decided that he can't let it continue.

He scowled with disgust at the thought of getting another human companion, but the well-being of Rin was of outmost importance. Besides the girl would benefit from having an adult with her, when he and Jaken were departing. A human could prove useful. After all he and the imp were demons, so their knowledge of human child's needs was vague.

Sesshomaru stood up, as he made up his mind. The demon walked slowly towards the two-headed dragon.

"I will need your assistance." He said quietly. He mounted the dragon and soon vanished in the clouds.

**In the next chapter: Sesshomaru arrives! Stay tuned for chapter 12: Spirited away.**


	12. Spirited away

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha**

**Author notes: Everyone this is the chapter you've been waiting for.**

**nana, unfortunately I didn't get your e-mail, so maybe log in on and PM me. I would thank you for encouraging me all the time – because of your support I updated like crazy. **

**Chapter 12**

**Spirited away**

Mai got up in high spirits that day. She stretched her back and hurried to the bathroom, to bath before all those maidservants will storm into her room and wrap her again in an uncomfortable attire.

As she was soaking in the water, she kept thinking about this day. She had to get Shinji to take her to the temple because alone she didn't have a chance to leave the castle. There's no way the guards would let her out. Well, no need to worry, if the things go well, she will be soon back in modern Tokyo.

Feeling a bit impatient, she got out of tub and dried herself. She rushed to the room, where her kimonos were kept, not wanting to wait for the servants today. She picked a couple of kimonos, all in the shades of green and a beautiful expensive one, which was also green, embroidered with red roses. Mai found also a wide golden obi, that would go with her attire just fine. She looked at the pile of clothing, then at the mirror. She had to manage to put all that on herself. Alone. Mai sighed and started dressing herself. Tying an obi proved to be quite a challenge, but she succeeded, although her neck was sore from constantly looking back into the mirror. She checked once more if everything was in its place and brushed her hair. She wondered if she should tie it with a hairpin or decorate with a comb, but finally decided against it. Now, pleased with herself, she set off to find Shinji.

However, the young samurai was nowhere to be found. Mai cursed, as she was running in circles for over an hour now, searching for the useless guy. Tired, she leaned against wall and was trying to figure out how else could she get to that temple. She didn't want to wait another day. Mai was stuck in this cursed era for nearly a month. The girl shivered, as she thought about all the classes she missed. Did even the princess went to school? Mai was horrified when she realized how much could her grades drop during this month. Oh, the return to school would be tough. But first she'll have to actually return.

Mai noticed a familiar silhouette heading her way. Acting on instinct, she turned quickly around the corner and plastered herself to the wall. Damn, of all people, she had to meet the last one, she wanted to see – Gorouza. Unfortunately, the girl wasn't fast enough to hide and the man found her, with ever-present charming smile on his lips.

"Amayami" he said softly. "How unexpected to meet you this early. Did you not sleep well tonight?"

"Umm…" Mai muttered, thinking of an excuse to escape.

Then it dawned on her. This Gorouza guy maybe wasn't the best companion, but the guards would surely let her out of the castle, if she was with him. "Sounds like a plan" thought Mai and smiled to herself. She assumed the role of the princess and cleared the throat.

"I am pleased to meet you as well." She started, recalling all the period dramas she watched on TV. "I would like to pray in the temple for our marriage and I was looking for someone to accompany me. Would you like to escort me?"

Mai felt as if her tongue will rot from all this politeness. Gorouza however smiled even more, if it was possible. He took her hand and bowed slightly. Mai shivered with disgust, but didn't pull her hand out of his. She still needed him.

"Of course my love. I shall make preparations immediately. Please meet me at the castle gates in an hour."

He bowed deeper, flashed her another smile and walked away.

"An hour?" Mai repeated, furrowing her brows. Why the hell would he need an hour to take a thirty minutes walk?

An hour later Mai found out. A the gates Gorouza was waiting for her and he wasn't alone. A while later she was sitting on a horse and beside her rode her betrothed. They were accompanied by about a dozen of samurais and more or less ten servants. Mai frowned as Gorouza motioned his horse to get closer to Mai.

"I have personally chosen the gentlest horse for you." He said to her. Mai arched her eyebrow.

"I can see that." She muttered. In fact the mare, she was riding on, was more like a mule than a horse. Mai was walking faster than that horse. Additionally, one of the servants was leading the animal, what made her feel as though she was disabled.

Time was dragging on mercilessly. Mai was under the impression, that her walks with Shinji took less time. The girl sighed as she saw the awed eyes of the villagers, as the small caravan rode through the village. She thought, that it must be a funny sight, seeing her one day shopping in the market and now making such an entrance… She prayed, that her visit in the temple would be worth all this fuss.

Mai's face brightened, as she saw the elderly fat priest on the road. The old man must have been on his way from the village. Mai waved to him energetically. The priest raised his hand, as to wave back, but when he saw Gorouza riding by her side, he bowed deeply instead. Mai decided, that it's best not to dismount the horse now – how would she get back on in her kimono? - and took the reins from the servant, while kicking the sides of the lazy horse. The animal moved slowly towards the old man. The priest waited for her to say something.

"Hello." She said cheerfully.

"Amayami-hime," started the man with a huge smile. "My friend has the answer, you are looking for. Please, come to the temple."

"Umm… yes and I will pray there." Said quickly Mai, looking cautiously at Gorouza, who listened with interest and maybe suspicion too.

"We intend to pray for the happiness in our marriage." Stated Gorouza. Mai nodded vigorously.

"Oh, yes. Definitely." The girl agreed maybe too eagerly.

She was about to ask monk to go already, when she noticed priest's troubled face. The old man turned abruptly and looked in western direction, worry all over his face.

"Princess," he addressed her, tension in his voice, as he took out his ofuda. "Go back to the castle, now. I can sense the powerful youki approaching!"

"Youki?" asked Mai, confused. What is he talking about?

She noticed, that her companions were really scared by the words of the priest. The servants were glancing around nervously, as if searching for a safe direction to flee. The samurais took out their swords and surrounded her and Gorouza, ready to give their lives for the lord and the princess. Gorouza also ripped out his sword and was looking around warily.

"What is youki?" demanded Mai, not knowing what was going on. Neither Gorouza nor samurais answered her. Finally, the old priest looked at her over his shoulder.

"It means, that a youkai is coming. A powerful one. You must be prepared to flee, princess." She answered.

Mai stared at him. Youkai? Mai was sure, that youkai were just mythical creatures created by people's imagination, but still… Gorouza and samurais seemed to be dead serious about this, what made Mai nervous. She positioned herself in the saddle and grabbed the reins tighter. And then it begun.

At first Mai saw nothing, but the horses started to panic.

"Shhh… easy, easy…" said Mai to her mare, her voice shaking a little, trying to calm down the scared animal.

Then, a dark storm cloud appeared out of nowhere, suddenly it became dark. Sound of thunder scared the horses and Mai swayed in her saddle, as her mare danced under her.

"Prepare!" the priest shouted.

Mai heard a loud roar and saw a terrifying shape, emerging itself from the cloud. Towards them flew a real dragon. The creature had two heads, its body covered with scales. And on the beast was a man riding. She couldn't see him clearly from that distance, but she noticed long, flowing hair, completely white. Mai froze in place. She could only stare – she was just seeing the impossible.

The dragon flew closer and roared another time. The rider slipped from the saddle and jumped to the ground. Mai mind was racing. It was over 10 meters. The man should be dead or at least his limbs should be broken! However, he started to walk slowly toward them. Now Mai had the chance to take a closer look. He was tall, dressed in white – white hakama with red pattern and white haori with yellow and purple obi. He wore armor and had two swords, one of which was without a sheath. White fur was thrown over his right shoulder. Mai noticed, that his hair was silver, reaching past his hips, but his face was young. His ears were pointed. The face was indeed strange. He had a blue crescent moon on his forehead and two magenta stripes on his cheeks. Did he paint them on his face? "They're not painted…" realized Mai. "Those are demon markings. He is not a human!"

The samurais were glaring at the man, ready to strike at the first command. The man casually continued walking towards them and stopped. He started to observe Mai's group, as if he was searching for something. Or for someone.

"What do you want, mononoke?" demanded the priest.

The silver-haired man didn't answer, he kept on looking at the faces of servants, the samurais seemed not to have his attention. And then he looked straight in Mai's eyes. She froze as their gazes met. His eyes were golden, cold and expressionless. The eyes of a predator – Mai thought. She shifted under his scrutiny and felt a some kind of primal instinct awake in her – instinct of the prey to run from the hunter. The man smirked, what terrified the girl even more.

"You are Mai." The man stated simply, not averting his eyes from her. His voice was deep and calm, so calm, that it was creepy. Mai opened her eyes wider. "How did he…"

"Youkai! Be gone!" suddenly the priest yelled.

The ofudas flew from his hand in the direction of the silver-haired man. He turned his attention from Mai and drew his sword quickly to shield himself from the priest's spells. The pieces of paper were immediately destroyed. The old man took a step behind, terrified by demon's power.

Gorouza motioned his horse to get between Mai and the youkai.

"Amayami-hime," he said quietly, looking at Mai seriously. "On my sign, ride to the castle and do not look back, no matter what."

Mai nodded quickly and watched as Gorouza rode closer to the demon. The girl had to admit, that her betrothed was brave.

"Mononoke!" Gorouza addressed the demon. "Leave now, or you shall be slain!"

The youkai showed no intention of leaving. He stood still, looking slightly annoyed. Gorouza lifted his sword.

"Attack!" he yelled. The samurais rushed towards the demon with battle cry. The silver haired man didn't even draw his sword this time. He only lifted his hand. Gorouza looked Mai in the eye.

"Amayami! Now!" he yelled.

Mai didn't hesitate. She turned her horse and kicked its sides. The mare leaped forward and rushed towards the castle. Mai could hear only screaming men. The screams of dying men – she realized. Mai ushered the horse to go faster. She could hear now only the blowing wind. Suddenly she noticed something in the corner of her eye, but she couldn't make out, what it was. Then, just in her way, the silver-haired demon appeared, out of nowhere. Her mare neighed in panic and reared. Mai tried to regain the control over the horse, but it got even more scared. The girl lost her balance and flew out of saddle. She felt the sharp pain, as her body made contact with the ground. Her mind went blank, when her head hit a stone.


	13. The flight

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha**

**Author notes: Everyone, thanks for reading. Please comment!**

**Chapter 13**

**The flight**

Mai whimpered, as she started to regain consciousness. Her whole body was sore and the head felt like exploding. The girl felt cold wind on her face. She shifted and tried to make herself more comfortable, as she was pressed against something hard, what made her bruises only more painful. She drew carefully a breath, a shallow one, because she felt pressure on her stomach. She opened slowly her eyes.

And closed them immediately again, thinking, that her brain just must have had a sort of malfunction as a result of hitting on the head. She opened her eyes one more and realized, that there were clouds around her. She glanced carefully down and regretted it. She was sitting on some kind of steed in the saddle, but the creature was no horse. It was covered in scales and was two-headed. Beneath the animal she saw ground, trees and even buildings. They were very far away, though. Mai paled, as she realized, that the creature, she was on, was actually gliding in the sky, high above the ground.

The girl felt a pressure on her stomach increasing. Slowly, she turned her eyes on its source. An arm was wrapped tightly around her stomach, holding her waist and the reins. Mai shivered slightly, as she saw, that the nails were abnormally long and sharp, actually more like claws than nails. Around the wrist there were twin magenta stripes. Mai froze in terror. She recalled seeing such stripes not so long ago. She kept staring at the arm, too scared to look behind her. After a while, she shifted slowly in the saddle and looked over her shoulder.

Mai was already expecting in, but nonetheless she gasped in shock. Behind her sat no one other than the silver-haired demon. She stared at him in horror. The youkai was towering over her, even as they both were sitting – the top of Mai's head didn't even reach anywhere near his shoulder. She had to nearly twist her neck to look upwards. The girl was pressed tightly against the breastplate of his armor, not being able to move freely. The demon was looking at the horizon, his face showed no emotion. Then he looked down at Mai. The girl shivered, as her eyes met his cold gaze. She felt, as if she was a cornered prey and panicked. Instinctively, she tried to push herself away from him, but he only tightened his grip, nearly crushing Mai's ribs. She continued to struggle with him, as he narrowed his golden eyes and emitted a growl. That caused the girl to stop for a moment.

"Stay still, woman." He said to her, the voice giving out his irritation. However, Mai didn't listen to him and kept trying to wriggle out of his steel grip, so tight, she couldn't even draw a proper breath.

"Let me go!" she screamed to him. The demon didn't budge, clearly unimpressed by the girl's attempts to set herself free.

"Let go of me!" Mai didn't stop screaming. Suddenly, she felt the pressure on her stomach disappear, as the youkai removed his hand. Then, he pushed her from behind. Mai felt herself slipping of the saddle and tried to grasp something, anything, that would prevent her from falling – she didn't make it.

Mai fell of the creature's back only to stop in midair. Her limbs were dangling, she saw the solid ground in the distance. She would surely die if she hits it from this height. She closed her eyes, expecting the impact, but felt nothing. She slowly opened her eyes to discover, that she didn't fell. The demon was gripping her obi. He pulled her roughly back on the saddle. Mai hissed from pain, as she felt her bruised body slam into his armor. The youkai placed his arm around her waist again and looked, as if nothing has happened.

Mai couldn't calm her down – she has just nearly died. She tried to control her hitched breathing, as she analyzed the situation, she was in. She was in Feudal Era, got kidnapped by a demon, who has slaughtered her entire escort and almost killed her just now. She needed to stay calm and stay alive. Especially staying alive was a priority. She decided, that the demon didn't want to kill her, at least not right away. If he wanted, he has already plenty of chances. Then why did he kidnap her? Mai couldn't think of a logical answer. Then she remembered one more thing. Earlier, he called her "Mai". How did he know her real name?

Mai yelped, as she felt his grip tighten again and crush her ribs. She hissed from the pain and looked at him over her shoulder.

"You're crushing may ribs. It hurts." She said to him, her voice slightly shaking. He said nothing, didn't even bother to looked at her, but the pressure lessened a bit. Mai decided to be polite, for her own safety.

"Thank you." She said. Yet again, she received no answer. Actually, she was relieved, because the demon's voice creeped her out even more.

Mai was never so scared in her life – kidnapped by a being, she thought to be mythical, she didn't know, what would happen to her. One was sure – returning home now was out of question. First, she had to know what exactly was going on. And she feared, that to do that, she had no choice, but to ask the terrifying youkai, who kidnapped her. She shifted in the saddle and looked up at the demon's face, unsure how to start a conversation without angering him. She stared for quite a while, when the youkai glanced down at her with visible annoyance.

"What is it, woman?" he demanded. Mai unknowingly flinched at the sound of his voice. She averted her eyes from him.

"Umm…" she started. "What are you going to do to me? What do you want? Why…"

The demon growled and sent Mai an angry glare. "Enough!" she hissed. "Be silent or I will kill you."

The girl shut her mouth immediately. The man was dangerous and she didn't want to get herself murdered. However, she really needed to get some information.

"Err…" she started, careful not to anger the youkai. "My name is Mai."

The girl waited for some kind of reaction, but there was none. At least he didn't threaten to kill her. Yet. Mai decided to carry on.

"What's yours? You have one, right?" she asked the demon. There was only silence. After a longer while he finally spoke up.

"Sesshomaru." He stated, not looking at Mai.

"Oh." The girl uttered, surprised, that in fact he did answer her question. Sesshomaru? That was an unusual name, for human at least. Mai was, however, no expert on demon names. She had an impression though, that she heard such name before. But where? When? As she tried her best to remember, she felt herself lose balance, as the creature, on which both her and Sesshomaru were riding, started to fly lower. She frantically tried to reach for the saddle, to grab on to something to support herself, but she couldn't reach because of the demon pressing her to himself. She turned abruptly to Sesshomaru and wrapped her arms around his waist. She pressed herself tight against him, desperate not to lose a hold of him and fall of the dragon.

The creature circled above a clearing in the forest and landed. Feeling, that they were no longer in the air, Mai slowly opened her eyes and pulled herself from the demon, a little ashamed, that she grabbed a stranger like that. She blushed abruptly and started blabbering nervously.

"Um… Oh… sorry for that. But I was scared, that I will fall and I had nothing to hold on to… and fear of heights…"

"Woman." Sesshomaru said warningly, annoyance visible in his eyes. Mai stopped.

The demon gracefully got off the back of the two-headed dragon and unexpectedly grabbed Mai by her obi. He shoved her unceremoniously from the saddle and the girl fell on the ground with a loud thud, gaining more bruises. Mai yelped.

"What was that for?!" she screamed, as she started to get herself back on her feet. Her beautiful royal attire was now dirty and torn, her hair disheveled. She cursed quietly to herself and stiffened, as she felt something poking her shoulder. She turned her head to see what it was and gave out a cry of fear and surprise. One of the dragon's heads sniffed her curiously. Mai cautiously backed herself, not really willing to find out if the creature wants to hurt her or not.

She made a few steps back when she slammed into something. She turned around to see very irritated Sesshomaru. The demon gave her his most scary look and grabbed her arm. Then he started to walk along the path, dragging Mai behind him. The dragon followed them, trotting a few steps after them.

"Wait! Let me go!" Mai started to protest and tried to wiggle herself from Sesshomaru's grip, but it made no impression on him. He didn't even slow down. He grabbed her tighter instead, his claws ripping through all the layers of fabric and puncturing the girl's skin. Mai yelped in pain, but stopped struggling, not wanting to give him a reason to do something worse.

She knew, that he was capable of killing her. She was pretty sure, that he slaughtered Gorouza and his samurais, even though she didn't really see a thing. But she remembered the screams. She flinched. What mess has she gotten herself into? Will she get out of it alive?

Finally Sesshomaru stopped and Mai bumped into his back. She took a look of her surroundings. The demon led her to a camp. By the fire was sitting an ugly small, toad-like creature. It had green skin and enormous eyes. It was glad in brown and was holding a staff, on which were carved two heads – male and female. As it saw the demon's arrival, its eyes brightened and, it got up quickly and rushed towards the tall youkai.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Where have you been? You got us worried!" it squeaked, as if it was scolding the fearsome demon.

Then, a small figure darted from between the bushes and run towards Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru-sama! You're back!" a childish voice exclaimed, a voice that was very familiar to Mai. Mai observed, as the little girl stopped in front of the demon, showing no fear and kept smiling brightly. Mai's eyes widened, as she recognized the child.

"Rin, were you behaving yourself?" Sesshomaru asked the girl. The kid nodded vigorously.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama!"

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**If the story interested you and you'd like to see the end it please go to my blog:  
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**I've decided to move the fanfiction there from this site.**


	14. An unexpected meeting

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Wow, I did it! Here's the chapter, you wanted. Thanks to your encouragement and reviews I managed to upload this faster. Enjoy.**

Chapter 14

**An unexpected meeting**

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As Mai saw Rin, everything just clicked into its place in her mind. Why Rin was so reluctant to spend nights in the temple, why the youkai knew her real name. Mai has told it only to one person – to Rin. The girl realized with horror, that she brought all this mess on her herself – the very day, she saved the child from the villagers.

Rin glanced with curiosity at the person behind Sesshomaru. Her eyes widened as she recognized her friend.

"Mai!" she exclaimed with joy in her voice and ran to the older girl. She threw her hands around Mai's legs and smiled at her. "Mai, you're here! I missed you so much! Will you stay with us? Will she, Sesshomaru-sama? Please let her stay!"

The kid asked the fearsome demon, not letting Mai out of her grip. The older girl hugged the child back and thought, that it would be good to have Rin between herself and Sesshomaru, just in case he would get mad again. The kid was looking at the youkai with hopeful eyes.

Then the toad-creature made its way to where they were standing.

"Don't be silly, Rin." It patronized the child. "Sesshomaru-sama would never allow a company of a filthy human such as herself."

Mai felt anger boiling in her. How did he dare to call her that?! To her surprise, the tall silver-haired demon kicked the creature right in the face. The green youkai yelped and crashed into the nearby tree. He got up immediately and started groveling before Sesshomaru and kept asking for forgiveness.

"Jaken." The tall demon said calmly. The green imp was still apologizing, bowing so deeply, that his forehead kept banging on the ground. "Jaken!"

The youkai named Jaken looked up and finally shut up and stood up. Because of the commotion with the imp, Mai didn't notice, that Sesshomaru was looking at her, standing a little too close, what made Mai feel uncomfortably. She was holding Rin in front of her like a human shield, protecting her from the demon. He looked intimidating – Mai, as she was relatively short comparing to her peers, had to tilt her head to look at him. The top of her head didn't even reach to his shoulder. His cold gaze bored into her. She tried to take a step back from him, but Rin held her in place.

"Woman." He addressed her. Mai furrowed her brows slightly. Why did he keep calling her "woman"? She had a name!

"It's Mai." She said stubbornly, looking back at him with a little more courage. He didn't seem to be impressed in the slightest.

"From now on, you are my servant." The silver-haired demon stated. At his words Mai felt dumbfounded. Was he serious? The girl thought, that she probably hadn't met anyone more serious than him. The green imp gave out a surprised squeak.

"What do you mean – servant?" asked confused Mai. Did he want to make her some kind of slave?

"I shall be your master." The demon narrowed his eyes. "Your duty is to take care of Rin's well-being and attend to her needs. You will not disobey me, you will not attempt to escape or I will kill you. Did you understand?"

Mai nodded slowly, not really knowing how should she respond to that. Did the demon just say, that he wanted her to be the kid's babysitter? He kidnapped her for that? And murdered all those innocent people?

"Sesshomaru-sama?" Jaken spoke up once again. "Is this human going with us as your…"

The tall demon glared at him.

"The human woman is now my servant, just as you are." Sesshomaru spoke in a tone, that indicated, the conversation was over. "We're leaving."

With this words he turned on the heel and started walking away. Jaken followed him, running on his short legs and the two headed dragon also started trotting behind Sesshomaru. Rin took Mai's hand and started dragging the older girl towards the demons.

"Mai, we need to catch up to Sesshomaru-sama! Come on!" the child said happily to her. Mai followed her, not knowing exactly what to do. If she tried to escape now, the silver-haired demon would kill her. Mai doubted, that it was merely an empty threat. He seemed to be used to killing without a second thought. For now, it would be the best to do that the tall youkai says and not to behave suspiciously. She'll run away in the night.

"Mai?" Rin spoke up, looking at her with her chocolate eyes. "Rin is happy, that you'll travel with us. It is really fun, you know."

"Sure." Mai muttered, wondering if the kid was delusional or maybe brainwashed. How wandering with a murderer, green toad and two-headed creature could be possibly fun. Or… there was another explanation. Mai looked at Rin with suspicion. She could be a demon in disguise, couldn't she?

"Rin, you're a human, right?" Mai asked the girl. The child smiled and nodded.

"Yes, but Sesshomaru-sama, Jaken-sama and Ah-Un are all demons." She anwered happily.

"Oh. I see." Said Mai, thinking, that in that case Rin must be seriously brainwashed. "Who's Ah-Un?"

Rin pointed at the dragon, that was trotting beside the girls. As it heard Rin saying its name – or names – it turned one of its heads and roared. Mai jumped an shrieked. Jaken bumped into Sesshomaru's leg, as the silver-haired demon stopped and turned his head to look at Mai.

"Be silent, human." Sesshomaru told Mai.

"It's not my fault, that that monster scared me!" she answered angrily. Ah-Un roared at her again and Mai shrieked one more time. Jaken rolled his eyes and muttered something under his nose. Sesshomaru glared at her.

"As expected from a human." He said, clearly insulting her. Jaken nodded in agreement. Mai felt her blood boiling in her veins. She was scared, but anger was stronger than fear in the moment.

"A human? That was supposed to be an insult? Try better, you… you… youkai!" she shouted at him, not being able to think of a better insult at the moment. Jaken rushed towards her.

"Do not disrespect the great Sesshomaru-sama! The lowly human as yourself…"

"Shut up, you toad!" yelled Mai at Jaken, who waved at her with his staff. The girl was so focused on the green imp, that she didn't notice neither Rin tugging her sleeve nor Sesshomaru's angry glare. In a heartbeat the silver-haired demon appeared right in front of Mai, emitting an aura of rage. The girl yelped in surprise and fear. She tried to take a step back, but he grabbed Mai's arm, the one he injured earlier, keeping her in place. She whimpered from pain, as his grip tightened. He looked at her, anger in his eyes and Mai immediately regretted opening her mouth.

"Do you have a death wish, woman?" he asked calmly. Mai quickly shook her head. "Do not anger me anymore. I despise humans as yourself, pathetic beings you are."

He released her arm and stalked away. Mai couldn't stop herself from shivering. He scared the wits out of her. She couldn't believe how stupid she was to say such things and to piss off a demon. She decided, that she has to escape, no matter what. Mai was under the impression, that with her temper it won't be long until Sesshomaru is mad enough to murder her.

She rushed after the demons, with Rin at her side, keeping a safe distance between her and Ah-Un, who obviously didn't like her much. The child was babbling all the time, but Mai didn't really pay any attention to it. She kept looking in front of her and trying not to think, how horrible the situation was, she found herself in. The girl concentrated her gaze on Sesshomaru. The demon's silver hair were billowing in the wing, as he walked, and so did the long sleeves of his haori. Mai narrowed her eyes. There was something wrong with his left arm. It appeared, as if the sleeve was empty. To think of that, she didn't remember him using the left arm, so was it missing?

"Human." Said the voice somewhere around her. Mai looked for the source of it and found it at a level of her knees. The demon named Jaken glared at her with his round yellow eyes. Mai narrowed her eyes and was about to argue with him, but in the last moment she remembered the outcome of her previous outburst. She took a deep breath to keep herself calm.

"My name is Mai." She said. Jaken cleared his throat.

"Since Sesshomaru-sama decided to take you on as his servant, I must inform you, human…" Mai shot at Jaken her poisonous glare and lifted her fist, letting him know, that she won't hesitate to use it.

"I must inform you, Mai," Jaken started again. "of your duties."

"I thought Sesshomaru already did it." Said Mai. However the green imp continued preaching her.

"As a servant of Sesshomaru-sama you must be loyal to him at a cost of your life. And never disobey him, for your own good." Mai thought, that this advice actually made sense. She sighed.

"I got it. And I have to take care of Rin, right?" Mai asked quickly, before Jaken had chance to continue his preaching. The imp nodded, looking satisfied.

"And you must always treat Sesshomaru-sama with respect!" he added. Mai rolled her eyes. She really couldn't wait to free herself from all those demons.

As the sun was setting, Mai began to feel exhausted. They were travelling for a half of the day and she was pretty sure, she had blisters on her feet. Her whole body was sore from falling of the horse, then of Ah-Un and from being dragged by Sesshomaru. She winced, as she moved a little with her wounded left arm. She was in a quite pitiful state right now. In the morning she looked beautiful like a princess and now… Her really expensive outer kimono was torn and dirty and the sleeve stained with her blood. Her long hair were a nuisance – they were so tangled, that Mai wondered if she would manage to comb them. The princess's attire wasn't suitable for treks – it was unbearably heavy and moving in it was quite a challenge. Mai had to keep the hem of it lifted all the time, not to trip and land face-flat on the ground.

It was getting dark, but Sesshomaru didn't seem to have an intention of stopping for the night. Rin was sleeping soundly while laying on Ah-Un's back. Mai didn't notice a stone in the dark and tripped. She groaned, as she landed on the ground. She struggled with her numerous layers of clothing to get up, as Jaken looked over his shoulder and, much to Mai's surprise, reached out with his staff. The girl grabbed it and the green youkai pulled her back onto her feet.

"Thanks." She muttered to him and rushed to catch up with Sesshomaru and Ah-Un, limping a little, as her feet hurt. Jaken looked at her.

"If you can't keep up, you should get on Ah-Un." He said to Mai. The girl looked towards the two-headed dragon and shivered inwardly.

"No way I'm getting on this thing." She said and continued limping forward.

Suddenly Sesshomaru stopped and looked at Jaken.

"Jaken." He addressed the imp. Jaken ran to him with enthusiasm. "We will set a camp here."

Mai sighed with relief and just sat down, where she was standing. She watched as Sesshomaru lifted Rin from Ah-Un's back, surprisingly gently, and laid her carefully on the ground. Jaken collected some wood and used his staff to set it on fire, causing Mai to gasp loudly.

The girl thought, that she would be dead if she stayed with those demons any longer. If Sesshomaru doesn't kill her, those treks will. She made a decision: tonight she would escape.

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**Thank you for reading. Please review and I'll do my best to update as soon as possible.**


	15. Mai is escaping

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Hey, everyone. The last update was supposed to be an exception, but I got more reviews than I thought I would and I just can't ignore your requests to post another one. Please, comment more and I will keep up writing and updating. Thank you!**

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**Chapter 15**

**Mai is escaping**

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As the night went on, Mai was laying on the bare ground, her arm under her head. She pretended to be asleep and waited for a convenient moment to slip out of the camp. The girl slightly opened her eyes, now wanting to give out, that she was awake, and took a look around the camp.

The campfire was still burning, flames dancing playfully and casting a little light on her kidnappers. Rin was sound asleep and so was Jaken, snoring quite loudly. Mai squinted her eyes, trying to figure out, if the dragon called Ah-Un was sleeping as well. The beast was laying, both heads with closed eyes. All right, safe. Now the last one left. The girl turned her eyes to the silver-haired demon. He was sitting on the opposite side of the campfire, leaning his back against the tree, his eyes closed. Sesshomaru had his armor still on and the two swords rested against his shoulder. His face was peaceful and Mai assumed, that he's asleep. She wasn't sure though. "Well, there is only one way to find out." Thought Mai and lifted herself off the ground slowly, not taking her eyes off the demon, waiting for any reaction. There was none, he was sitting still all the time. Taking it as a good sign, the girl slowly made her way to the forest, taking one step at a time, careful not to step on some twig, rustle with her silk kimono or even breath loudly, afraid to wake up the youkai. She knew, that if he caught her, she would be dead meat. She was glancing nervously from time to time at Sesshomaru, checking for any signs of danger. When she finally reached the edge of forest, she turned around and started marching faster, but still carefully looked under her feet and kept quiet. She refrained herself from running till she would be out of demon's hearing range.

If Mai looked back now, she would see a pair of golden eyes opening to watch her warily.

The girl found a path and followed it. Her escape didn't went so smooth as she pictured it. Although it was full moon tonight and stars were shining brightly, the trees cast a dark shadow. It was difficult for her to see, where she was going and had to walk really slow at avoid tripping and alarming anyone in the camp. The branches were catching on her long kimono and hair. Mai cursed, as it happened again. She struggled with a tree to free her sleeve and wasn't paying attention to her surroundings.

"What are you doing, woman?" she heard a cold voice right behind her. Mai felt all color leave her face and a shiver go down her spine. I'm so dead! she thought frantically, ripping her sleeve, as she pulled it in panic. She turned around to see angry Sesshomaru, standing not a meter from her. How did he get here so fast? His face was calm, but Mai could see wrath in his eyes. She was sure, he will kill her this time. Mai was so scared, that she couldn't think clearly.

„Oh." Mai uttered, desperately trying to figure out, what to do. Should she run? She had no chance – Sesshomaru was definitely faster and would be only more mad. The girl tried to keep her head cool. "It not what you think! I wasn't going to escape!"

The demon arched his eyebrow. Mai cleared her throat and made her best to sound confident.

"I only wanted to bath. I was looking for some water." She said quickly, thinking, that was a very poor excuse. "I really need it."

"And why did you go alone in the middle of the night?" asked Sesshomaru, clearly unconvinced to her stupid story. He looked slightly less pissed off, more like he was amused, in a sadistic way. Mai smiled faintly.

"I didn't want to wake you all up." She answered, cursing in her mind, because it sounded just so dumb…

Sesshomaru glared at her and Mai fought her urge to turn on her heel and flee as fast as she could.

"Follow me." The demon broke the uncomfortable silence at last and started walking away. Mai hesitated for a moment and then rushed after him, thinking it would be foolish not to. They were walking in silence for a couple of minutes. The girl wondered, where the hell he was leading her. Her sense of direction wasn't her strength, but she was pretty sure, that the camp was elsewhere. Mai's heart started to pound faster, as she imagined, why could he lead her into the deep, dark forest. He could murder her there and Rin would never hear her screams.

"Sesshomaru?" Mai spoke up, her voice shaking. The demon didn't answer or show any other kind of response, like slowing down for instance.

"Sesshomaru!" Mai called louder. Maybe he didn't hear her the last time.

"I am not deaf, woman." He said eventually.

"Where are we going?" she asked, hoping, that she managed to start a conversation. He didn't answer her right away. Mai covered her eyes, as the bright moonlight blinded her. She lowered her hand and looked around. Sesshomaru led her to a lakeshore. The light of moon and stars reflected in the water. Mai opened her mouth in awe, impressed how beautifully the water sparkled. She looked up and gasped. The sky was clear tonight. The full moon seemed bigger than usual, but it was the stars, that captivated her. There were so many, many more than Mai had ever seen before. And above all, a white Milky Way was visible – something about the girl read in the books, but never saw in reality. The night sky in this time seemed younger, more beautiful.

"Woman." Sesshomaru's voice made her come back to reality. Mai almost forgot, that he was standing beside her. She turned her head and looked at him. In the bright moonlight he seemed more inhuman. His golden eyes were almost glowing.

"Eh?" Mai uttered, unsure what did he want from her. He glared at her, becoming annoyed.

"Undress." He said simply. Mai opened her mouth agape, wondering if she heard what she thought she did. Exactly what did he want from her? Then it clicked in the mind. How dare he!

"What?!" she exclaimed, as she folded her arms folded protectively around her and took a step back from him.

"Hn." Sesshomaru averted his gaze. "Go bathe."

Mai stood in a place, processing, what he said just now. She looked at a lake and then back at the silver-haired demon. Did he lead her to let her bath? That was kind of… nice of him. He could have killed her.

"Oh, thank you. I will." She said, waiting for him to leave. Sesshomaru, however, stood still.

"Are you going to stand here?" Mai asked, a little irritated. "I need some privacy."

Sesshomaru sent her his cold glare, walked over to a large stone nearby and sat on it, his back to the lake. Mai was staring at him, not believing, that he wasn't going anywhere. How the hell was she supposed to take a bath with HIM sitting here? She stalked toward him, rested her hands on her hips and cleared her throat.

"I think, we have a misunderstanding about the meaning of the word 'privacy'." She said angrily. The demon looked her in the eye, sending her his intimidating icy glare.

"Woman," he said quietly. "Bathe."

Somehow his calm voice scared her more than when he would be yelling at her. Considering the previous events, arguing with him would end painfully for her. Mai sighed, defeated.

"All right." She said. "But don't peek!"

Sesshomaru didn't respond, he averted his gaze from her and fixed it on the nearby trees. Mai made her way towards the lakeshore. When she reached it, she found a log, where she could lay her clothes. She took off her shoes and socks. They were white in the morning, but now seemed to be kind of grayish and Mai noticed a large hole in the place, where a heel was. The girl sighed and threw them into the bushes. She shot a nervous glance at Sesshomaru, who was still sitting with his back to her. Embarrassed by his presence, she untied her obi and placed it on the log. She checked once again, if the demon wasn't peeking and took her attire off. She darted into the lake, to get herself under the surface of the water as soon as possible. She didn't want to stand naked longer than it was necessary. She dove under the water and stayed there until she was out of breath. She emerged slowly, keeping only her head above the water level and checked for any signs of peeking. Mai decided, that Sesshomaru was apparently no pervert. She started rubbing her hair and body in order to get them as clean as possible. She would kill for a soap or shampoo. Mai winced, as she touched her left arm. The girl had blue bruises all over the body, but the arm was a mess. She managed to wash off the dried blood, but the sight still wasn't pretty to look at. The arm seemed to be covered in one huge bruise. There were also puncture wounds from the demon's claws. "Good, that at least it's not broken" Mai thought. She scrubbed herself a little more and was soon eager to get out of the water. If she wasn't so dirty, nothing in the world would make her to get in in the first place – Mai was freezing – as to be expected of someone bathing in the lake in spring. Clattering her teeth, she got out, shivering even more as her bare wet skin made contact with chilly air. She rushed to the log, where her clothes were. She grabbed the most inner layer and wrapped herself in it as in the towel – she won't wear it anymore anyway. After checking Sesshomaru's position, she examined the rest of her clothes. Including the inner layer, which served for underwear, and the expensive outer one, she had six kimonos. The outer one, beautifully green with red roses embroidered on it couldn't be saved. The silk was tattered and torn, not to mention horribly stained. She sighed with regret and tossed it into the bushes. The other ones were in a little better condition, almost undamaged, not counting tattered left sleeves, stained with her blood. She decided to put on two of these and take rest with her. She unwrapped the fabric, that was around her body and quickly slipped into the kimonos, tying them tightly with obi. She put on her shoes, gathered the other layers and made her way towards the silver-haired demon, who was sitting on the rock, still as a statue. Mai was quite uncomfortable, that he insisted on staying here while she was bathing, but at least he didn't peek.

"I'm done." She said to him.

Sesshomaru got up and made his way into the forest, without saying anything. Mai followed him, jogging to catch up with his pace. She wanted to tell him to slow down, but she thought it was best not to say anything, that could make him want to strangle her. She realized, that she had to keep a low profile and plan her escape carefully next time. The risk of getting caught turned out to be higher, than she thought.

Mai could see a faint glimpse of red light. The campfire! They were near the camp.

The girl nearly bumped into Sesshomaru, as the demon stopped abruptly. She swayed and supported herself by grabbing a branch.

"Tch!" she hissed, when she regained her balance. She tilted her head to look up at Sesshomaru. The youkai was looking at her coldly.

"If you ever try to escape from me, I will track you down and kill you." He said slowly, his gaze boring into her eyes. Mai felt a shiver go down her spine. Somehow she was sure, that he was serious. She was quite grateful, that she was still alive. The youkai turned around and made his way towards the camp. Mai followed him. As they reached the camp, Sesshomaru sat down and leaned against the tree. The girl folded her spare kimonos, trying to ignore, that the demon kept staring at her. She laid on the ground on the opposite side of campfire, her back towards the fire. She put the clothes under her head and closed her eyes. She was so exhausted, that she fell asleep right away.

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**The next chapter will be pretty exciting, so review please!**


	16. The apple

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Hey, folks. It seems, that I won't be able to keep my word about updating only on Sundays. I got reviews from you and I just have to share this chapter with you. Please, send me more comments and chapter 17 will be on its way. And announcement about the story: if you like it, I have a good news. There will be 50+ chapters, so it will be rather a long one. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 16**

**The apple**

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Mai was sleeping soundly, when she felt, that someone was poking her. She ignored it and rolled onto the another side. The person, who was disturbing her sleep, didn't gave up – now someone was shaking he girl. She distantly heard the voices calling her name. She mumbled something incoherently and drifted to the sleep again. Then she felt a sharp pain in the vicinity of her kidneys. Her eyes opened instantly and she rolled onto her back. Then she realized, that her nightmare was indeed reality. Above her, she saw the concerned face of Rin, Jaken with folded arms and Sesshomaru. Mai guessed, that the silver-haired demon was the one, who kicked her just now. When he made sure, that the girl was awake, he turned around and walked away, the two headed dragon trotting behind him.

"Get up, Mai! Sesshomaru-sama is leaving!" exclaimed Rin, tugging Mai's sleeve. Jaken waved with his staff.

"We will not be waiting for such worthless humans!" he added.

Mai narrowed her eyes and punched him with her fist of justice. She gathered her spare kimonos and stood up. As she did it, she winced slightly. Her bruises were hurting like hell and damn Sesshomaru added another one to the collection today. Mai took Rin's hand and followed the silver-haired demon, trying to ignore the blisters on her feet and Jaken's nagging.

They were walking not longer than an hour, when Mai heard her stomach giving out a loud sound. She realized, that she didn't eat anything since yesterday's breakfast.

"Rin, did you eat a breakfast today?" she asked the child. The girl nodded.

"We tried to wake you up for the breakfast." Said Jaken's voice. Mai turned surprised towards the source of the voice to discover, than the green imp was walking right beside her. She wasn't quite used to his small size.

"I would use a good breakfast right now." Mai said to Jaken. "Do you have any food?

"No." the imp answered. "You will have to wait till evening."

Mai's eyes widened in terror.

"You can't be serious!" she raised her voice. "I haven't eaten anything for over a day! I won't survive till evening, I'll day of starvation!"

Ah-Un turned his both heads towards the yelling girl. Sesshomaru also looked at Mai.

"Woman, if you are hungry, go and find yourself food." He said.

Mai furrowed her brows, unsure what exactly he meant by that.

"We're in the middle of the forest." She pointed out, feeling stupid, as she was arguing with his back. "What possibly can be here to eat?"

Sesshomaru stopped. Rin and Jaken were looking at her, as though unsure, whether she was serious. The tall demon looked at her, annoyed.

"Go, find yourself food." He repeated and looked at the green imp. "Jaken."

Mai opened her mouth to protest, but Jaken grabbed the edge of her sleeve and started dragging her into the forest. Mai pulled her sleeve abruptly, nearly sending the green imp to the ground and sent him a poisonous glare.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she screamed at her. Jaken sighed.

"You stupid woman!" he retorted, dragging her deeper into the forest. "We're going to find you some food, as Sesshomaru-sama ordered. If you weren't so useless, I wouldn't have to come with you!"

"Oh." Mai was confused. So Jaken was actually helping her? "Sorry, I misunderstood you."

"No offence." Mumbled the green imp, surprised by the girl's apology.

Mai followed the little demon, as he was looking for mushrooms and herbs. Maybe it would be a good idea to get along with him. – Mai thought. If she was to travel with that sadistic demon Sesshomaru, she would use someone to talk to, someone else than Rin. Mai decided, that she will make Jaken her ally.

"Jaken," Mai spoke up. "You surely know a lot about forest. I would never manage to find as many mushrooms as you did. Are you sure, they're not poisonous?"

"Of course." Said Jaken, proud because of Mai's praise. He stopped abruptly and pointed something with his finger. "Look, an apple tree!"

Mai looked in the direction, that Jaken pointed, and there it stood – a lone apple tree with branches full of red fruit. The girl heard her stomach rumble again. She made her way towards the tree. She grabbed one apple and took a large bite. She tossed another one to the green imp.

"So, Jaken, let's go to work!" she exclaimed happily, smiling at the prospect of stuffing herself with fruit.

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Back on the path, Sesshomaru, Ah-Un and Rin were still waiting for Jaken and Mai to return. The little girl was sitting on the two-headed dragon, bored to the death. She looked impatiently at the tall demon.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" she spoke up.

"What is it, Rin?" the silver-haired demon answered without looking at the child.

"Do you think Mai and Jaken-sama will come back soon?" she asked him.

"Hn." Sesshomaru muttered, an annoyed expression on his face.

The youkai had enough of waiting for his servant and that infuriating human woman, but was grateful for a moment of silence, free of her yapping and complaining. He cursed himself inwardly for his own foolishness, which caused him to bring the wretched woman along. At first, he hoped, that Rin could benefit from the company of a well-bred human woman, as she could learn proper manners and other things humans need to. The girl proved herself, however, to be a nuisance. She was loud, disobedient and on the top of that – he had to keep an eye on her, so she would not try to escape again.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin exclaimed, pointing towards the nearby bushes.

Jaken and that idiot woman returned, happily talking to each other. The short green demon was telling about one of his adventures and the girl was listening and making enthusiastic comments from time to time.

Perfect, now she has not only Rin on her side, but Jaken as well – thought Sesshomaru, gritting his teeth and trying to maintain his emotionless façade.

He saw, that the woman was carrying a lot of fruit, wrapped in her kimono and now she was wearing only a single layer of clothing. He noticed, that the thin fabric didn't leave much to imagination, making the woman's curves perfectly visible. Sesshomaru had to admit, that she had a very womanly shape.

"Rin and Sesshomaru-sama were waiting so long for you!" Rin complained, as she made a face of a pouting child. Mai smiled at her.

"Come, on, Rin! We weren't gone for that long." The woman scolded Rin and fished an apple from the bag made of her kimono. "Here, I've got an apple for you."

Mai tossed gave a fruit to the child and then another one to Jaken. Both Rin and the imp bit into their apples. Surprised Sesshomaru noticed, that the woman made her way towards him. She seemed to be unsure, probably was scared of him.

"Sesshomaru, here's one for you." She said, offering him a fruit. The demon was looking at her for a while and then he turned around and started walking.

"Let us go." He said to his group, leaving Mai with her hand still outstretched.

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Mai stood in place for a while, as Jaken and Ah-Un with Rin on his back followed Sesshomaru.

What an arrogant jerk! I was nice to him and he didn't even bother to say a thing! – the girl thought, as she felt her anger accumulating. She narrowed her eyes and clenched her fist.

"Hey!" she called and ran to Sesshomaru, till she was walking by his side. As expected, the youkai didn't even turn his head.

"It's rude to just walk away like that!" she accused the demon and reached her hand with the fruit once more. "Jaken and I did our best to collect those apples for the entire group, so, please, take it."

Sesshomaru set his gaze somewhere in front of them and showed no intention of answering her. Suddenly, he knocked the apple out of Mai's hand. The girl's eyes followed the fruit, as it fell down to the ground and rolled in dirt. She gritted her teeth, shaking with anger. Then, she just lost it.

"You arrogant idiot!" she screamed at top of her lungs, gaining interested stares of Jaken, Rin and Ah-Un. "You crazy bastard! You…"

Mai's insults stopped, as Sesshomaru's self-control snapped and the demon whirled around, grabbing the girl's throat and lifting her of the ground. She struggled, her legs dangling helplessly above the ground. Mai dug her nails into the demon's wrist and tried desperately to draw a breath. Sesshomaru was staring coldly into her eyes, as she struggled to free herself from his grip.

"Do not disrespect me, woman, ever again." He said slowly, as he released Mai.

The girl fell limply to the ground, gasping for breath. The demon gave her a final look and turned around.

Rin jumped of Ah-Un and ran to Mai, Jaken followed her. The little girl was looking at her with concern.

"Mai, are you all right?" the child asked. The girl slowly nodded, while massaging her sore neck.

"You should watch, what you're saying, Mai!" Jaken told her.

The green imp and Rin helped her get back on her feet, despite her protests. Mai looked around. In the ground her wrinkled kimono was laying and apples were all over the path. It would be a waste to leave them here – she and Jaken put quite an effort into collecting these.

"Come on, Mai!" said Rin, pulling her sleeve. "We must go."

"Go first." The older girl answered. "I'll just gather the apples and catch up with you later."

Rin reluctantly let go off the sleeve and ran off to get back onto Ah-Un. Mai noticed, that Sesshomaru turned his head and gave her a suspicious look.

"I won't run away." She said and reached for the kimono, which served her as a bag. The silver-haired demon and his companions were soon out of sight. Mai sighed and started gathering apples.

She lifted her hand to the face and touched her cheek. She felt tears wetting her cheeks. Mai fell on her knees and buried her face in her hands as she gave out a loud sob. It was the first time she allowed herself to cry since she arrived in this era. Mai realized how scared she was – alone in the time other than her own and she didn't knew if she will ever come back, if it was at least possible. Ever since she switched souls with the princess she concentrated on a single task – discovering how to go home. Now she was a demon's servant with no idea what to do next. She felt helpless. What if coming back was impossible and she will have to spend the rest of her life here? Mai's life wasn't thrilling, but she missed being safe, going to school and cinema, visiting library, where the old nagging librarian was. She wished, that she could walk on the streets of Tokyo again, talk with her friend Kagome, watch TV. Earlier she despised, how boring her life was. She wanted it to be a little more exciting, to experience an adventure. Finally she got to do that and it turned to be a nightmare – she got stuck with a sadistic demon, who will surely make her life miserable.

Mai sighed and wiped the tears of her face. She threw the last apple into the makeshift bag and stood up. She decided, that she won't worry now. Later she will think of something. Mai started marching along the path. She wondered, if Sesshomaru will wait for her.

I doubt. – she answered herself and quickened her pace, not very eager to be alone in the wood for long. The girl thought, that she heard the cracking of twigs, as something moved in the bushes. Her heartbeat quickened. Mai convinced herself, that it might be just an animal and most of animals are more afraid of people than the other way. However, she started walking faster.

She heard the rustling in the bushes behind her more clearly.

That is not my imagination. – she thought, panicked, as she spun around to see the source of noise. As she did, she felt herself freeze in fear.

"Hello, pretty one."

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**Whoops! Mai's in trouble. Reviews, please. **


	17. Ambushed

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: It looks like I got some reviews again, so I'm updating, as promised.**

**Originally, I started writing the story only to practice English (I haven't used it since high school, so sorry for the mistakes), but it turned out to be fun. I guess, that I have to keep writing and, everyone, please keep reading and commenting.**

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**Chapter 17**

**Ambushed**

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Mai gasped, as she saw three men coming out of bushes. They wore rags and were armed with swords. The loathsome smiles were plastered on their faces. One of them whistled as he scanned Mai up and down.

"Hello, pretty one." He said, sending her a lustful look.

Scared Mai took a step back and turned around with an intention of running at full speed. When she did so, she noticed, that two other robbers blocked her way.

Mai cursed, when she realized, that the men surrounded her. Damn, why didn't she stay with the group? Why she had to be that stupid?

"We haven't seen such a temping woman in a while." One of them said, probably the leader. "She looks like a princess. Don't you want to lay with the princess, guys?"

The robbers agreed enthusiastically. Mai shivered, when she understood, that they would rape her. The girl would rather die than let them do such a thing to her. She gritted her teeth and covered her front with her hands, suddenly realizing how revealing the thin kimono was. She had to stop them somehow.

"If you do something to me, a powerful youkai will kill you!" she said to them, trying to sound confident. She failed, however, as her voice was shaking.

The robbers started to laugh, as though she just said a good joke. Mai folded her arms protectively around herself and tried to figure out, how she could get out of this situation, before it would be too late. If only she managed to knock one down somehow, maybe she could escape… And what next? Mai was never good at sports and running was her weak point. There's no way she could outrun five fit robbers. She took a deep breath to prevent herself from panicking.

"Have some fun with us!" called one of men to her, reaching out to grab her arm.

Mai slapped his hand and backed away from him. The robber smiled widely, what send Mai a shiver down her spine.

"Feisty!" he laughed and tried to grab her once more.

This time Mai put more force and hit his elbow. The man hissed, as he took a step back, clutching his arm. He spit on the ground.

"Bitch." He muttered. "It's time to teach you some respect!"

With this words he and his comrades rushed to her and tried to hold the girl still. Weak as she was, Mai wasn't willing to give up without putting up a fight. She managed to punch one of them square in the face, but she felt strong arms grabbing her from behind and immobilizing her. She couldn't move a limb. Two robbers were holding her and three other laughed, even the one with black eye. The leader approached her and leaned closer to her, his face an inch from hers, so Mai could feel his stinky breath.

"Ooo… What are you going to do now?" he mocked her, as he touched her cheek.

"Get your dirty hands of me!" the girl hissed.

Mai glared at him furiously. She didn't intend to make it easy for them. She focused and with all her force she slammed her head into the man's nose. She heard a characteristic cracking sound of a bone breaking and a pained scream. The robber was cursing and pressing his hand to the face. His nose was bleeding and had now a strange shape.

"Crazy bitch!" he yelled, as he slapped her across her face. "Who do you think you are? Some kind of princess? I'll show you what we do with your kind!"

Mai's eyes widened, as he ripped off a knife and stalked to her. Her breathing hitched with panic, as she thought, that he was going to slash her throat. The robber's leader grabbed her long hair and pulled towards himself. Mai whimpered in pain, as he pulled it with more force. Then she felt the pressure disappear and fell backwards, free of his grip. She noticed, that the robber was holding her long brown hair in his hand. He tossed it on the ground and laughed.

"See, you're an ordinary woman now." He said with a lecherous smile, as he approached her. "Now, you will give us pleasure."

He reached to Mai with his detestable hand, but the girl luckily managed to free her leg and attempted to kick him in the groin. However, something went wrong and she kicked his knee instead. The robber's face turned red with rage.

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN TO STOP!" he yelled at her, infuriated and took out his knife once more.

Mai felt the cold steel as he put the blade against her throat. He moved it slightly and the knife cut the skin on her neck – only to draw a little blood. The robber lifted the blade to the girl's eyes, so she could see her own blood staining the knife and then he licked the blood slowly of the blade.

"You better listen to me." He said, sending her another lecherous grin.

Mai snorted.

"I would die first." She hissed through her clenched teeth and observed, as man's face was turning red again.

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"Green Jaken, blue Jaken, yellow Jaken!" Rin was blabbering. "Now your turn, Jaken-sama!"

"Give it a rest, Rin!" the green imp whimpered. The little girl pretended, that she was pouting, but then her face brightened and she started singing some song.

Jaken sighed and looked back. It was some time since the human woman stayed behind, but she didn't manage to catch up with them yet. They made a couple of stops along the way, so even a slow human should be able to get to the group, but she still wasn't here. Maybe she got in some kind of trouble? Jaken ran to Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" he spoke up.

"What is it, Jaken?" the silver-haired demon asked, without looking at his companion. The green imp cleared his throat.

"Maybe it would be wise to look for Mai?" Jaken asked, looking at Sesshomaru for reaction.

"Hn." The tall demon didn't slow down. "There is no need."

Jaken wanted to ask something more, but resigned and went to his usual place in front of Ah-Un.

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Sesshomaru was annoyed with that idiot woman. She should have stayed with group instead of trailing behind. What was she thinking with that foolish head of hers? At least she would be taught a lesson, if she had to run behind them for a half of day. The woman was still in the range of the demon's nose, so Sesshomaru knew, that she was walking after them. There was absolutely no need of bringing her back now.

The silver-haired demon furrowed his brows, as he smelled another humans in the vicinity, but there was probably no need to worry. Suddenly, he stopped and Jaken slammed into his leg.

"Something's wrong, Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin asked.

The youkai didn't answer. He sniffed the air. Without doubt, he could smell the scent of blood, the idiot woman's blood. He cursed inwardly.

Sesshomaru leaped into air.

"Stay here, Jaken!" he ordered the green imp and took off, vanishing in the lightning ball, which flew into the forest.

"Jaken-sama?" asked Rin, worry all over her face. "Do you think, that something bad happened to Mai?"

The small demon muttered something under his nose.

"I don't know, Rin." He answered.

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The robber's leader rushed to Mai, murder in his eyes, but his two comrades stopped him, grabbing his shoulders.

"Chief, do what do want to do with her, but wait till we get our share of her!" one of them was convincing the leader. Mai felt, as she would throw up. She started to struggle to free herself, but the robbers were holding her so, that she couldn't move her body an inch.

The chief approached her and send her a wide loathsome smile, as he grabbed the front of her kimono and tugged it. Mai felt the fabric slipping of her shoulders, as the robber made a cleavage bigger. The man whistled with approval. Mai panicked.

"Let me go!" she screamed, while trying to wriggle herself from the strong grip. The men laughed, as they started to touch her bare shoulders, moving their hands lower.

"Help! Someone help!" Mai kept screaming at top of her lungs. "SESSHOMARU!"

One of the robbers grabbed the girl's chin and tried to kiss her. She made it difficult to him, tossing her head to the sides. The man growled impatiently and slapped her. He was about to attempt to claim her lips again, but froze abruptly. Mai stared, as the man's hand fell limply to his side and he unexpectedly fell on the ground. She saw, that he had a large gush on his back, the blood flowing from it made a puddle around his body. His limbs twitched for a moment and then he went still. Mai stiffened, as she realized, that the man has just been killed. She lifted her eyes from robber's lifeless body and gasped.

In front of her eyes was none other than Sesshomaru. The demon was standing still, calmly observing the scene.

Did he was the one, who killed the robber? How did he do that? – Mai wondered.

Other robbers got angry, as they saw the death of the companion. One of the men, who were holding Mai released her, but the other man was still gripping her tightly, now pressing a knife against her throat. The other ripped out their swords and stood between her and the demon.

"Who are you?" demanded the leader of the robbers.

"I have nothing to say to the insects as you." Sesshomaru said calmly, causing Mai's attackers to boil with anger.

"Before we have our way with the woman, we'll kill you and take that fancy armor of yours!" yelled one of the robbers and three of them rushed on Sesshomaru, swinging with their swords.

"Hn." Sesshomaru didn't draw any of his swords. He stretched his arm and Mai could see a green light at the end of his claws. Then, a green energy whip shot off his clawed hand and the demon graciously moved with his arm. The whip slashed the attackers, sending parts of their bodies in the air. Mai froze in terror, as a fragment of a leg flew inches from her face. She stared horrified at the silver-haired youkai, not sure, who scared her more – he or the robbers, who wanted to rape her.

Sesshomaru looked as calm as nothing had happened just now. Mai felt the robber, who was gripping her, start to shiver uncontrollably, as the demon turned his attention to him.

"Who are you?!" he screamed, panicked. Sesshomaru didn't answer, as he slowly made his way towards them.

"One more step and I'll kill her!" the terrified man threatened, pulling the blade closer to Mai's throat.

Sesshomaru, however, didn't stop. He smirked, what scared the girl out of her wits. Mai couldn't follow, what happened then. The demon leaped forward with such speed, that the girl noticed only a blurred shape. Suddenly, he appeared right beside her and the robber. He moved his hand and Mai saw his sharp claws ripping the flesh of the man's arm. The cut off limb fell to the ground, freeing the girl from the grip. She staggered forward and regained somehow her balance. She turned towards Sesshomaru and the man.

At first, the robber stared in disbelief , surprised, that his arm was no longer attached to his body. Then he yelped in pain and started to back away from the demon, staring at him with horror in his eyes.

"Please, spare me! Forgive me!" the man began pleading for his life.

Sesshomaru said nothing, as he slowly approached the robber, flexing his fingers. Mai watched in horror, as the demon pierced the man's chest with his bare hand. The arm dove into the flesh past wrist. The robber screamed in pain and coughed blood. Sesshomaru waited patiently until the end of man's agony and then the pulled his arm back. The lifeless body fell on the ground.

Mai's eyes widened in shock as she took in the scene. Two dead bodies laid on the ground, the smaller fragments of human flesh were everywhere. And Sesshomaru was standing in the middle of it, calmly shaking the drops of blood of his claws. The girl shivered, as he made his way to her.

He grabbed her chin and lifted her face. Mai looked away, as he examined her face, avoiding his gaze. Finally, he released her.

"Woman, did they violate you?" he asked her.

Mai shook her head, staring at her feet. She was still shivering – she has never seen so much blood in her life. The sight of the demon ripping those men apart with his bare hands terrified her. She knew, that Sesshomaru was dangerous, but until now she didn't really realize how much.

Mai felt a touch on her cheek, clawed fingers brushing across the bruise in the place, where the robbers' leader hit her the face. Surprised girl looked up at the demon. His golden eyes met hers.

"You're hurt." He stated quietly. Mai pushed his hand away and glared at him.

"It's nothing." She said sharply. "It doesn't hurt more than my neck did this morning."

Sesshomaru's eyes went cold. The demon looked at her disheveled kimono critically. He grabbed the edge of fabric and slid it back into the right position, covering Mai's bare shoulder.

"If you continue to dress yourself in such a provocative manner, do not be surprised, when the incidents like this one occur again." He said, looking at her cleavage.

Mai blushed and covered her front with her arms. Sesshomaru snorted impatiently and grabbed her arm, yanking the girl closer to himself. Mai tried to protest, but he put his arm around her waist. As she looked down, she saw some kind of a cloud forming beneath the youkai's feet. She yelped, as both of them were lifted off the ground and flew away, supported by a strange cloud. Mai panicked and, suddenly remembering her fear of heights, she screamed, while clawing on Sesshomaru. She shut her eyes and continued to tremble. The flight was short – soon the demon yanked her off him, sending her an annoyed glare.

"Mai!" Mai felt happy Rin slamming herself against her legs and putting her small arms around her waist. "You're all right!"

"Yes." Mai answered, hugging Rin back and smiling at the adorable kid. "I was in trouble, but Sesshomaru saved me."

"Your beautiful hair is gone!" the kid exclaimed, while pointing to Mai's head.

The older girl lifted her hand to her hair and noticed, that it reached only to a little bit past shoulders, not to her knees, as before. She sighed heavily, as she remembered the attackers cutting them. Somehow it felt right, when her hair was like that – she felt more herself.

"It's okay. It's only hair." She said to Rin and patted the kid's shoulder.

Mai looked up, as she felt the silver-haired demon's glare drilling into her.

"Woman, get yourself on Ah-Un." Sesshomaru ordered.

Mai looked at the two-headed dragon and winced, not really willing to get anywhere near that creature. Ah-Un roared, as if he was thinking the same as the girl.

"No, thank you." Mai refused politely. Sesshomaru kept glaring at her. "Or maybe I'll reconsider."

Mai freed herself from Rin's grip and made her way to the dragon. She stopped by Ah-Un's side.

How the hell I'm supposed to get on this thing? It's too tall! – she thought, as she tried to jump somehow onto the saddle or pull herself up with her arms, without any effect. Ah-Un roared impatiently.

"Don't complain." She spoke to the dragon. "I'm trying to… Gah!"

She yelped, as Sesshomaru grabbed her obi, lifting her off the ground and yanked her onto the saddle. Mai clutched the edge of the saddle.

"Thank you for helping me out." She said to the demon, smiling shyly at him. "And thank you for saving me from those men. I'm really grateful."

"Hn." Sesshomaru turned around from her. He stood still for a moment and then spoke up quietly. "Human food does not suit me."

"What?" uttered Mai, not knowing, what he was talking about.

"The apple." Sesshomaru said.

Mai looked at him, still confused, then she realized, what he meant.

Did he just apologize? – Mai thought surprised. She wanted to question him more, but then Rin skipped to the demon and tugged his sleeve.

Sesshomaru turned his attention to the child. He bent and grabbed Rin's obi. The kid squeaked with delight, as he lifted her from the ground. The little girl landed on Mai's lap.

Then the silver-haired demon turned away and started walking away. Ah-Un moved, lead by Jaken. Mai had to grip the saddle to keep her balance.

"Let us go." Said Sesshomaru, as the group made way through the forest.

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**Please share your opinion…**


	18. The first attack

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Uff… I still can't say no to you people if you comment so much. Thanks for reading and supporting me – it means really very much to me. So, here's the next chapter for my favorite readers!**

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**Chapter 18**

**The first attack**

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A couple of days passed since Mai became Sesshomaru's servant. The girl got used to the new daily routine – their group would wake up every day at dawn, then Mai, Jaken and Rin would eat breakfast. Next, they all were walking till dusk and then set camp for the night. The girl spent most of the day playing various games with Rin or talking with Jaken. She learned from the green demon a lot of interesting things about the medieval Japan, the youkai and Jaken's adventures as Sesshomaru's servant. Mai was quite surprised, when the small demon told her, that he was travelling about a hundred years with their current boss. She was even more shocked, when Jaken told her, that Sesshomaru was over three hundred years old.

Mai managed to maintain a truce between herself and the silver-haired demon. They talked as little as possible, Mai refrained from talking back to him and Sesshomaru controlled his habit of grabbing people's throats.

The girl tried to befriend Ah-Un, as she was riding on the creature half of the time. Mai kept bribing the dragon with fruit and had an impression, that he liked her a little more now. At least he wasn't scaring her on purpose anymore.

However, Mai had a hard time getting used to the everyday hardships. Her back was sore from sleeping on the bare ground. During nights, she was covering herself and Rin with one of the spare kimonos, but she was always shivering before dawn anyway.

The menu was also dull – they ate mostly mushrooms, fish and fruit sometimes. Jaken's favorites were roasted lizards, but neither Mai nor Rin were willing even to try them.

The most challenging was the issue of hygiene. Mai seized every opportunity to bath, wherever they passed near water, much to Sesshomaru's annoyance. The girl did her best to scrub herself without any soap or shampoo and would kill for a toothbrush. Mai usually dragged Rin along and washed her as well, not caring about the kid's protests. The girl was grateful, that her hair wasn't knee-length anymore. Without a brush, keeping them untangled was a nightmare. She tried to comb her and Rin's hair with her fingers, but the effect was miserable. All in all, the journey wasn't pleasant.

"Jaken," spoke up bored Mai. "Tell me, where exactly are we going? We have a destination or something like that?"

"Ekhem." The green imp cleared his throat. "Sesshomaru-sama is searching for Naraku."

"And…" Mai made a gesture with her hand to urge Jaken to tell her more. "Who is it?"

"You must know, that Naraku is an evil demon, who doesn't respect Sesshomaru-sama. It is a goal of Sesshomaru-sama to track him down and defeat him." Jaken answered. Rin stirred in Ah-Un's saddle.

"Naraku is a bad person. He kidnapped Rin once." The child added. Mai folded her eyes.

"No wonder Sesshomaru wants him dead." She said, thinking how protective of Rin the silver haired-demon was, for some unknown reasons.

Mai made Jaken tell her more about the mysterious Naraku. From time to time, Rin interrupted to add something in her childish way. Both of them described Naraku as a despicable villain, cruel and cunning. Mai got interested in this hunt for him.

"So, how are we exactly tracking him down?" the girl asked. Jaken sighed.

"Sesshomaru-sama is looking for him." The green demon explained. Mai furrowed her brows, not satisfied by the answer.

"How?" the girl asked. Jaken was looking at her, unable to answer her. After a moment of silence Mai spoke up, as she rolled her eyes.

"Don't tell me, that he tries to pick up his scent." She said, folding her arms. During the long walks Jaken told her already, that Sesshomaru was a dog youkai and that his senses were very acute, especially the sense of smell and hearing.

The green imp averted his gaze and didn't say a word, what confirmed Mai's suspicions.

No wonder, that we walk in circles. - Mai thought – Didn't he ever hear about getting intel? Where does he have his brains?

"Sesshomaru-sama has a great sense of smell!" Rin exclaimed happily as Mai winced.

"Sure." The older girl muttered.

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"Mai." Jaken tugged her sleeve to get her attention and pointed at Sesshomaru, who stopped abruptly. Rin shifted in the saddle, a little nervous.

"Is something wrong, Sesshomaru-sama?" the child called to the tall demon.

He didn't answer to Rin. He drew one of his swords, the one called Tokijin. Mai got a little scared and moved closer to Rin and Ah-Un. She never saw Sesshomaru drawing a sword before. If he did it, there will be serious trouble for sure.

Then the sky darkened, storm clouds gathering out of nowhere. Mai covered her eyes with her arm, as she was blinded by sudden flash of light. When she lowered the arm, she saw a figure standing in front of Sesshomaru. The stranger was a male demon, his form was humanoid. The long dark hair were tied in a single braid. Mai noticed, that his eyes were vividly green, but there was something wrong with them. The pupils – Mai realized. – They're vertical, like the pupils of a reptile. His arms were covered in scales.

The newcomer licked his lips with his split tongue and narrowed his eyes.

"Who are you to trespass my territory?" he asked, looking at Sesshomaru with contempt.

"Hn." Sesshomaru answered, annoyed, as he lifted his sword.

The silver-haired demon leaped forward and slashed his opponent with the sword. The lizard-like youkai managed to avoid Sesshomaru's final blow in the last moment and jumped to the air. While floating above the ground, he outstretched his arm and a ball of energy began to form in his hand. Suddenly, the threw it in the direction, where Mai and the group were standing.

The girl gave out a cry of fear and surprise, as she scooped Rin in her arms in attempt to protect the child.

Mai thought, that they were all going to die, but Sesshomaru appeared between them and the deadly lightning ball. The silver-haired demon managed to parry it with Tokijin, the clash of his sword and the energy caused explosion. Mai turned her head to see what was happening. Sesshomaru was still standing, unharmed. His opponent glided towards ground, a look of surprise on his face.

"Jaken, get back." Sesshomaru ordered shortly. The green imp nodded quickly and started pulling Ah-Un's reins and motioning Mai to go with him, further from fighting demons.

"If we stay here, we'll be only in the way." He explained to the girl. Mai followed him, eager to get into safety.

The lizard-demon lost his patience and started to create another energy ball. He called to Sesshomaru: "Don't turn your back onto me, dog!"

The silver haired demon remained silent and rushed straight to the opponent. The other youkai laughed and tried to get out of Sesshomaru's way, but the dog demon abruptly changed direction and appeared right above the startled opponent. He swung with Tokijin and sliced his enemy in half.

"As expected of Sesshomaru-sama!" called Jaken, a wide smile on his face, as he praised his master.

Mai had to admit, Sesshomaru was a skilled warrior. The way he defeated the demon was simply amazing. As the girl thought, her boss was indeed a fearsome demon.

She observed, as the silver-haired youkai landed gracefully on the ground and placed Tokijin beneath his obi. Mai noticed, that something strange was happening with the dead body of his opponent. The both halves began to twitch and moved on their own towards each other.

"Sesshomaru!" Mai cried, pointing it with her finger. "Behind you!"

The demon whirled around, his long hair swirling, as he reached out with his hand. Something green shot from his clawed hand, melting the moving corpse and burning the grass around them.

"What was that?" she asked with her eyes wide open.

Jaken grabbed the reins and made his way to Sesshomaru, leading the dragon.

"Sesshomaru-sama has poisonous claws." He explained to Mai.

The girl took Rin's hand and followed Jaken, feeling disturbed, as she discovered yet another deadly weapon of her fearsome boss. As they reached Sesshomaru, the tall demon turned around and started walking away. Mai lifted Rin onto Ah-Un's saddle.

Then, she caught a glimpse of something glittering. She walked over towards it and picked a small sparkling fragment from the ground. She brought it to her eyes, examining it closer. It looked like a purple shard of quartz. Mai admired, how beautifully the light danced on the surface of the stone.

"Woman." Mai yelped and jumped, as she heard Sesshomaru's voice. She was so busy studying her finding, that didn't notice, when the demon approached her. She tilted her head up and fought the urge to take a few steps back. The youkai glared at her, as he was towering above the girl. She clasped her hand shut and hid it behind her back. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.

"Show me that." He demanded harshly.

"Show what?" Mai answered, trying her best to make an innocent face. The demon growled, showing his sharp fangs. The girl took a step back, scared of him showing his anger. Defeated, she sighed and showed him the quartz shard.

"It's only a shining stone." Said Mai.

To her surprise, Sesshomaru slapped her hand, causing the purple shard fall to the ground. Mai bent to pick it up, but the demon grabbed her arm and yanked her upwards. The girl hissed from pain and glared at him furiously.

"Leave that." He told her, freeing the girl from his grip. Mai massaged her arm, as Jaken ran toward them. He leaned over the shining stone, squeaking from surprise.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" he exclaimed. "It's the shard of Shikon no Tama!"

Mai furrowed her brows, not knowing, why Jaken was so worked up because of the stone. "What's Shikon no Tama?"

"Shikon no Tama is a sacred jewel, which is said to grant any wish of the person, who possesses it." Jaken started explaining.

Mai's eyes brightened. If the jewel could grant any wish, could it help her get home? Maybe even a shard could suffice.

Jaken kept on blabbing, that the jewel enhanced youkai's powers, but Mai was now only thinking, how to use the stone. Maybe, Sesshomaru and the rest of the group would go first and she will feign tripping and tell, them she will catch up later…

However, the strange expression on her face didn't go unnoticed to Sesshomaru.

"Do not even think of keeping the shard." he said to her, warning in his voice. Mai stared at him, genuinely terrified.

Great. He can read my thoughts?! – she thought. The girl sighed and nodded.

"We are leaving." Sesshomaru stated and, as they set off, he was keeping an eye on Mai to ensure, that she won't try pick up the jewel shard. The girl took her place by Ah-Un's side.

They were walking in silence for some time, when Rin spoke up.

"Mai?" the child asked.

"Hmm?" Mai looked at the kid, who seemed to think about something intensely.

"If you could make one wish, what would you wish for?" she asked.

"I didn't think of it." Mai lied. She couldn't possibly tell the child, that she wanted to return to the 21st century. "What about you?"

"I wish, I could stay with Sesshomaru-sama forever!" she exclaimed happily and added after a moment: "And with Mai, too."

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**I'll tell you a secret: when I receive many reviews, I update as fast as humanly possible.**

**Oh, the next chapter will be quite funny…**


	19. A quickhanded monk

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Hey guys, I just came home a while ago. Finally the time to chill out and write some new chapters... Thank you for reviewing so much – you know how I like it. Please, keep commenting!**

**.**

**Chapter 19**

**A quick-handed monk**

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The next day

Mai winced, as she looked at a baked mushroom on a stick, that served as her breakfast. Again. For the whole previous week she didn't eat anything other than fish and mushrooms, not counting apples the other day. At first she thought it was only temporary, but soon she came to conclusion, that Sesshomaru's group didn't eat anything else. Speaking of Sesshomaru, Mai didn't see him eating even once. Or sleep – she was sure, that every time, when he was sitting with his eyes closed, he was faking.

There was also a problem of lack of basic items like comb, soap, toothbrush or spare clothes. Mai's kimonos weren't exactly fresh. She tried to do a laundry in the river once, but without soap it was no good.

Soon Sesshomaru ordered his group to set off and Mai was walking beside Jaken, munching a mushroom left from the breakfast. She looked at Rin, who was sleeping soundly on Ah-Un's back and covered the child with one of the spare kimonos.

Mai clenched her fist, as she encouraged herself and decided, that now the time came, the time to do something about those horrible travelling conditions.

"Sesshomaru!" she called to the tall demon and ran to him, till she was walking beside him. "Sesshomaru, we need to talk."

The silver-haired demon didn't respond. Mai was determined.

"Sesshomaru!" she called louder. The demon emitted an annoyed growl, as his technique of ignoring the woman failed.

"What is it, woman?" he snapped. Mai furrowed her brows and folded her arms.

"My name is Mai! Why do you keep calling me 'woman'?!" she fussed. Sesshomaru send her a warning glare. Mai got the message and decided to get to the point.

"The thing is, we can't eat those damned mushrooms and fish all the time. We should get vegetables, meat and some rice." Mai stated firmly, glaring back at the demon. However, he ignored her again. Mai narrowed her eyes.

"Rin really can't live only on mushrooms." She said and smiled in her mind, as she noticed, that she got Sesshomaru's attention by mentioning Rin's name.

"She has always eaten these and she is fine." He said.

"Rin is a growing child, you idiot!" Mai snapped, ignoring the furious glare, Sesshomaru gave her. "I have no idea how you, demons, raise your children, but human kids need to eat properly! And when I tell you, that she needs rice and meat, it means, that she does!"

Mai was so busy trying to talk some sense into the demon's thick head, that she didn't notice, when they stopped. As she finished her tirade, she realized, that she managed to infuriate Sesshomaru again. The demon was glaring at her in his most scary way. She felt, that he gave off a strange feeling – Mai would describe it as an aura of pure wrath.

Oh shit. – Mai cursed inwardly, as she saw Sesshomaru's face changing. The stripes on his cheeks became jagged and his eyes turned red. The girl froze in fear, as the demon took a step towards her, closing the distance between them.

"What did I say about disrespecting me?" he said, nearly growling. Mai felt, that she began to sweat.

"Sesshomaru," she began unsurely. "Please, calm down. I'm sorry. I was just trying to do my job. I should take care of Rin, right?"

Mai let out her breath with relief, seeing, that the demon's eyes turned the usual gold again. He sent her a final intimidating glare and walked away from her.

The girl thought, that she must do something about her habit of pissing him off, if she wanted to stay intact. She turned to join Rin, when she felt something slamming into her back. Startled, she staggered forward and looked for the item, that hit her. On the ground was laying a small leather bag. As Mai picked it up, she felt the considerable weight. She took a peek inside an gasped. Gold. A lot of golden coins.

"Sesshomaru?" she turned to the person, who was most likely responsible for hitting her with the bag. The demon didn't turned to her, but graced her with an answer surprisingly fast.

"There is a human village nearby, in eastern direction. You are free to spend it all on what you need." He said.

Mai opened her eyes wider in disbelief. Did he just say, that she can go shopping? And with enough money to buy the entire village!

"Thank you!" she exclaimed happily, clutching the leather bag. "Which way is east?"

Jaken groaned and made a face palm.

Mai hummed happily as she entered the village, a town to be exact. The girl felt wonderful, being among the people again. Since Sesshomaru kidnapped her, she didn't see any human except Rin, not counting the robbers. The town was very lively and seemed to be prospering well. The girl weighed the money in her hand and smiled to herself. She will definitely use the money, Sesshomaru gave her. Mai thought, that she definitely deserved some pleasure. She was walking along the street, passing the busy people. There were a lot of shops here and the girl wondered, where she could start shopping. Then one of them caught her attention. In front of the building hung colorful kimonos. Mai looked at her own tattered and dirty one and headed to the shop.

She opened the door and entered. Inside, an older woman and two girls were tailoring kimono for some female customer. The room was spacious, filled with colorful fabric.

"Hello." Said Mai and started looking at the clothes. Most of them were ordinary, but there were also fancy ones, of the same quality as Mai's princess outfits. The girl touched one of them, when she heard someone clearing the throat behind her. She turned around and looked at a middle-aged woman, probably the owner of the shop. The woman studied Mai sternly, glancing critically at her torn clothes.

"I'd like to buy a few kimonos." Mai stated quickly, feeling uncomfortable and ashamed, as the shop's owner scanned her with eyes.

"How much money do you have?" the woman asked, arching her brow. Mai, slightly embarrassed, took out the little leather bag.

"Oh, I don't really know." She admitted, as she opened it to count the golden coins. "I'll check if I have enough."

When Mai started counting money, the stern shop owner gasped and opened her eyes wider. She got on the floor and bowed deeply before the girl.

"I'm terribly sorry, hime-sama." The woman said to Mai, her forehead still touching the floor. "I'll present you the finest kimonos right away!"

Mai stared at her, surprised and looked at her leather bag. Did Sesshomaru give her THAT much money?

"Please, get up, no need to do that." She said to the older woman, helping her to get up.

The shop's owner insisted on treating Mai like a princess. She ran off to look for her best attires, and surely the most expensive as well. In the meantime she ordered her two daughters to take care of the girl. Mai got a chance to bath quickly – with a soap, what was like her dreams coming true. One of the girls brushed her hair after cutting them a little and the other applied make-up – all on the shop. Then Mai was showed a variety of kimonos. She picked up a couple of inner layers and three beautiful silk outer kimonos, the most expensive, the woman had – one was brilliant green with floral pattern, the other pale pink with roses and the last one blue, embroidered with silver thread. She put on the pink one right away and picked two more kimonos in Rin's size. Mai paid with three golden coins and, judging by the look on the woman's face, it was more than enough.

"Hime-sama," the shop's owner addressed Mai, while bowing once again. "Would you need help with carrying the packages? I could call my sons to help you."

"Really? It would be wonderful!" the girl answered, looking at all the clothes, that she just bought. It would be difficult to carry it all by herself.

One of the daughters ran to call her brothers.

"Hime-sama," the woman asked Mai quietly. "I don't want to be rude, but I was wondering, what such a wealthy woman as you is doing in this town, so far from castles."

"Oh." The girl looked at the ceiling, wondering, what she should tell the woman. "Actually, I'm travelling now and I wanted to replenish supplies. My escort is waiting outside the town."

The one of the girls came, dragging two teenage boys with her. They grabbed Mai's kimonos and were waiting for orders.

"Umm…" Mai mumbled. "Thank you for everything. Come on, boys!"

When the girl came out of kimono shop, she felt like a different person. Refreshed, clean and well-clad she rushed to the market, the two boys silently trailing behind her. She was gaining the numerous looks from the onlookers, probably because of her expensive attire. Mai smiled to herself, glad, that she got to spend some time in this merchant town instead with her sadistic demonic boss. She regretted a little, that Sesshomaru didn't let Rin come with her. The kid would use a difference from time to time too.

Mai purchased various goods on the market – a lot of food, including sweets for Rin – and for herself, soap, a knife, which he hid beneath her kimono, thinking, that it would be good to have a weapon, just in case. She bought also few bars of perfumed soap and various items, which could come in handy.

Mai was looking at the stall with hairpins, when she heard someone near her mention a familiar name. She looked up and searched for the owner of the voice.

"I've seen many youkai flying south, in the direction of Hanemasa." An old fish-seller said. Mai got interested, when he mentioned youkai. She moved herself closer towards the man and observed him with a corner of the eye.

"That must be Naraku!" exclaimed childish voice. Mai gasped, as she heard someone mentioning the name of Sesshomaru's mortal enemy. The girl decided, that it was the good opportunity to get some intel and prove herself useful. She sneaked closer, pretending, that she was watching wares.

"It may be, Shippo." Said a masculine voice. "Anyway, thank you for the information."

Mai lifted her head to look at those people, before they would walk away. Were they looking for Naraku as well? She noticed, that one of them was a young man, a Buddhist priest, judging by black and purple robes. He had rather short black hair and quite handsome face. In his hand he held a staff, characteristic for priests. Mai's eyes widened, as she saw the man's companion, the one with the childish voice. On the priest's shoulder sat a little youkai. There was no doubt about that – he had pointed ears, just like Sesshomaru had, animal legs and a fluffy tail. Mai could see his little fangs, as he was talking to the priest. The kid had red hair, gathered in a ponytail. It was unusual to see a holy man in the company of a demon, even if it was still a cute child.

Mai followed them discreetly, as they started to walk away. She thought, that she couldn't let this opportunity go to waste. She sped up to catch up with the strange pair.

"Excuse me." She spoke up, trying to get monk's attention.

The man turned towards her and his eyes brightened, as he saw her.

"Hello, my beautiful lady. How can I be of service to you?" he spoke to her with smooth voice, smiling charmingly.

"I'm not that beau…" Mai started, but got distracted, as she felt a hand stroking her bottom. Startled, she realized, that the hand belonged to the monk. The girl looked at the monk and saw the expression of pure bliss on his face. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fist, anger boiling in her.

"Miroku…" the youkai kid spoke up, trying to turn the monk's attention to infuriated woman.

"YOU PERVERT!" Mai screamed at the top of her lugs, sending her fist of justice right into the monk's face. The man staggered back, surprised by sudden blow. Mai was standing in front of him, fuming and massaging her sore knuckles. The kid, raccoon youkai as the girl thought, sighed heavily.

"You could see that coming, Miroku," he said. Mai noticed glimpse in the monks eye, as he grabbed her hands.

"I have only one question to ask of you, my lady." He said, looking her deeply in the eyes. "Would you bear my child?"

"Hell no!" Mai yelled at him, pulling her hands back and threatening the man with her fist. "Don't you know when to stop?!"

The little demon shook his head with disdain. He sighed heavily.

"Forgive him, he's always like that, but he's not a bad person." The child said to Mai. The girl lowered her fist. The monk straightened himself and cleared his throat.

"Yes, forgive me. My hands must be cursed" He said. "I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Miroku and I'm a travelling houshi. This little one's name is Shippo."

Mai fought her urge to scoop the little youkai in her arms and touch his fluffy tail.

"Shippo, are you a raccoon demon?" she asked the kid.

"I'm a fox!" the worked-up Shippo exclaimed. Mai covered her mouth with a hand to hide, that she chuckled a bit.

"Oh. And my name's… Ma… Amayami." Said Mai, giving her false name. Shippo and Miroku seemed to be quite friendly, but Mai learnt not to trust strangers. Befriending Rin led her to becoming Sesshomaru's servant, after all.

"So, lady Amayami, did you want to ask us for help?" Miroku asked her. Mai gasped, remembering, that she wanted to ask them about Naraku. The lecherous action of the monk, however, distracted her.

"Eh… I heard earlier… by accident… that you were talking about Naraku. Do you have a clue, where he is?" she asked and immediately regretted it.

The monk and fox youkai exchanged surprised glances and Shippo eyed Mai suspiciously.

"Why do you want to know it?" Miroku asked frankly.

The girl wondered, if it was safe to tell them, that her boss wants Naraku dead. A monk shouldn't be on the side of an evil demon, right? She decided to risk.

"The man, I work for, wants to find and kill him, for some personal reasons I think." She answered.

"Revenge?" asked Miroku, his face now showing worry. "Naraku has hurt many people, but it's dangerous for a human to go after him."

Mai furrowed her brows. The monk was lecturing her, but he was a human himself!

"I'll tell my boss to be careful." She said "Can you tell me about Naraku's whereabouts, please? I really have to go and my boss is not the most patient one."

"I guess, I cannot refuse such a charming woman." Said the monk with a dreamy sigh. Mai instinctively checked, if there was a safe distance between them. "We believe, that Naraku went south, in the direction of Hanemasa. We're not completely sure about it, though."

"Thank you." Said Mai, happy, that she got some useful information about Naraku. When she comes back, she'll rub it in Sesshomaru's arrogant face. Speaking of Sesshomaru, what time it was? Mai thought with terror, that she must have spend long hours in the town and the silver-haired demon was waiting for her all this time. God, he must be furious now. She had to go back. Mai locked the kimono shop's owner's sons on and rushed to them, without saying a word of goodbye to Miroku and Shippo.

"Hurry!" she said to the boys, who were carrying her things, and made her way to the outskirts of the town, as quickly as she could. The town people gave her stares and pointed her with their fingers, as she ran, lifting the hem of her kimono, with her two helpers trying to match her pace.

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"She seemed to be in a hurry." Noticed Miroku, regretting not having another chance to touch her bottom. Shippo sighed heavily.

"She is a suspicious woman' if you ask me." The fox demon commented.

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**Give me your soul please… I mean review.**


	20. A precious piece of information

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Hello, everyone. Sorry for the late update, but I had to cope with quite a lot, including the persecutor introducing a new witness and my panicking boss (the attorney), who made me stay after hours yesterday and today. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Please send me your reviews, they encourage me so much and make me want keep writing.**

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Chapter 20

A precious piece of information

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"Jaken-sama! Look, what I've made for you!" exclaimed Rin, as she decorated Jaken with a garland made of daisies. The green imp sighed, resigned, not having enough strength to protest. Where was Mai, when you need her?

The woman was gone for hours now. At first, Sesshomaru and his group were waiting for her at the edge of the forest, but after two hours the tall demon ordered Jaken to set up a camp. Bored Rin was torturing the poor imp with her games and childish questions, as expected from an energetic girl at her age. Sesshomaru grew impatient with every passing hour.

How long did the idiotic woman need to buy some food? She may have been incompetent, but it was too much. He could smell a faint trace of her scent, mixed with the great number of scents of other humans, domesticated animals and other smells. And the worst of all was, that he smelled his hanyou half-brother as well. Sesshomaru would have found the woman and dragged her back long ago, but he was not in a mood for an encounter with Inuyasha today.

Sesshomaru turned his head toward the town, when he felt Mai's scent closer to their camp. He sniffed the air. The idiot woman was not alone. Another humans were following her. Remembering, what happened the last time, when she was left alone, the demon decided to retrieve his servant, before she gets violated or killed. He doubted, that he would regret her death, but Rin would miss her.

"Jaken." He addressed the imp. Jaken turned his heat towards his master, the green demon looked stupid, decorated with daisies. "Wait for me here."

Sesshomaru set off to the source of Mai's scent, gliding above the ground, looking for his new servant.

He spotted her almost immediately. Lifting her kimono, she ran like crazy, the two young human males were obviously chasing her. The strange thing was, that they were loaded with packages, but Sesshomaru did not give it much thought. He picked up the speed to get to his troublesome companion faster.

The ground trembled, as the silver haired demon landed right between his foolish servant and her attackers. The boys fell to the ground, scattering the packages all over the ground. Their eyes widened in terror.

"Mononoke." Whispered the younger one, trying to crawl away from Sesshomaru.

The silver-haired demon glanced emotionlessly at two trembling figures and flexed his fingers. He outstretched his arm, preparing to attack, when he felt someone gripping his arm and trying to immobilize it. He turned his head to see the obstacle. The idiot woman had her arms around his, preventing him from attacking. Irritated Sesshomaru jerked his hand to shake her off, sending the woman to the ground. She let out a whimper, as she fell on her bottom.

He turned his attention to the boys, who were still crouching on the ground, paralyzed with fear. He was about to use his lightning whip, when Mai darted and got herself between him and his prey. She outstretched her hands, protecting the human males for some reasons, unknown to Sesshomaru.

"Don't touch them!" she screamed to him, the look of determination on her face. The demon narrowed his eyes.

"Move out of my way." He said calmly, but the woman did not budge.

"I won't." she said stubbornly and turned to the boys. "Idiots! Run!"

The boys obeyed her immediately and darted towards the town. Sesshomaru made an irritated sound, as he decided, that pursuing them would be pointless.

He looked at the idiot woman, who was still eying him suspiciously, as if she expected, that he would chase the two humans. The demon noticed, that his servant looked different than before. Now she wore a womanly pink silk kimono, which was of the best quality and brought out her figure nicely. Her hair was shorter, but tidier. She had make-up applied, what made seem her prettier, for a human. Especially the coral lipstick drew his attention to her lips.

"Sesshomaru!" the woman's shrieking voice interrupted his thoughts. She straightened, trying to intimidate him with her small figure. "Why did you do that? Those boys were helping me! I would never be able to carry all this by myself!"

The demon glared at her, irritated, but the foolish woman was already gathering the packages, not paying any attention to him. Sesshomaru wondered, why would she need all those things. He watched, as she struggled to lift all her belonging, without success. He stalked to her and grabbed the largest bag and obviously the heaviest. He lifted it, as if it weighed nothing, gaining Mai's amazed look. The woman took the rest and followed Sesshomaru, as he started walking away.

Mai was nearly running, trying to keep up with Sesshomaru. However, with her shorter legs she was at a disadvantage. After a longer while of silence, the demon spoke up.

"What took you so long?" he snapped at Mai. The girl looked at him and smiled innocently.

"I was busy. And I have a present for you." She said with even bigger smile, obviously pleased with herself.

Sesshomaru snorted. What could the pathetic human have, that he could make use of? The demon was already angry, that she wasted so much of his time already.

"I do not need anything from you." He said and noticed with a corner of his eye, that the foolish woman pouted.

"If you don't want to hear, what I found out about Naraku, it's fine with me." She said proudly.

Sesshomaru stopped abruptly and pierced the woman with his glare. Mai didn't slow down. He continued walking, completely ignoring him. The demon growled and approached her, appearing in front of her, blocking her way.

"Woman." Sesshomaru said, warning in his voice, as he sent Mai his intimidating glare. The woman looked back at him.

"Woman won't tell you a thing about Naraku." She said stubbornly, placing her hands on the hips. "However Mai could."

Sesshomaru made a step closer to her and smirked with satisfaction, when he noticed her fear, as she made a step back. He closed the distance between again, cornering her. The woman made another step from him and shrieked, as she tripped and fell back. She landed on her bottom with a loud thud. The demon thought, that taunting her amused him. She glared back at him, her eyes sparkling with anger.

"Now I'll tell you nothing!" she screamed and got on her feet, straightening her new kimono.

Sesshomaru dropped the bag, he was holding and grabbed her shoulder, careful, not to pierce the fabric. The woman tried to free herself, but he didn't release her. He pulled her to him and brought his face closer to hers, leaning over her. The startled woman opened her eyes wider and stared at him.

"If you are wise, you will tell me now." He said quietly, letting her feel his breath on her cheek.

He noticed with satisfaction, that the human was now terrified. Her face paled and the lips were trembling slightly.

"Naraku's youkai were seen heading south, in the direction of Hanemasa." The girl told him quickly.

Sesshomaru pulled himself from her and released her from his grip. He grabbed the bag and turned away. Before setting off, he looked at the woman over the shoulder.

"Come, Mai." He said.

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Later that day, elsewhere

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"SHIPPO!" Inuyasha yelled chasing after the little fox demon, who just stole his bowl of rice. The kid was running as fast as he could, but the hanyou got him and punched right in the top of his head.

"Kagome!" wailed Shippo, clutching his head with his little hands. "Inuyasha hits me!"

The schoolgirl lifted her gaze from math textbook and sighed.

"Inuyasha." She said, warning in her voice. The hanyou froze, seeing what was coming. "Osuwari."

Inuyasha landed on the floor with a loud "thud" and the whole group sighed heavily and shook their heads with.

"He started!" Inuyasha tried to argue, but the look in Kagome's eyes made him to shut up. Luckily, the girl turned her attention from him elsewhere.

"Miroku, you're the best for finding us the place for the night!" she praised the monk.

This time too, as expected, Miroku found a house, that belonged to the wealthiest man in the town and offered to exorcise a spirit. After the fake exorcism, they were able to enjoy all the luxuries. Kagome felt, that she really needed that after couple of night spent under the sky. She smiled with content and returned to memorizing the equations.

The rest of the group was still eating. The demon slayer Sango looked at Miroku, who was deep in thought.

"Is there something wrong, houshi?" she asked with worry on her face. Miroku shook his head.

"Everything is fine, Sango. I was just thinking about a woman, I met today." He answered and yelped as he saw Sango's murderous glare.

"Houshi-sama…" the girl started, emitting an aura of terror.

"It's not what you think, Sango!" the monk began explaining himself. "She asked me and Shippo about Naraku!"

Sango calmed down. Kagome lifted her head and even Inuyasha looked at Miroku, suddenly interested.

"She was suspicious." Stated Shippo, gaining the attention of the group. "She told us, that she worked for the man, who was looking for Naraku."

"Eh?" asked surprised hanyou. "A woman?"

"Yes…" said Miroku, smiling lecherously. Kagome and Sango sent him poisonous looks and Shippo sighed.

"What a pervert." Commented the little fox demon, as he folded his arms and furrowed his brows. "That woman was dressed like a princess, so who did she work for?"

"Feh! Who cares?" Inuyasha spoke up, taking another serving of rice. "If they are looking for Naraku, we'll meet them eventually."

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**Please, comment, because there will be plenty of action in the next chapter.**


	21. A difficult battle

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Hi, it's time for the regular Sunday update, so enjoy and don't forget to review. I have to confess something to you – I'm very greedy for your comments. Every time I see, that you leave them, I post the new chapter faster… **

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Chapter 21

A difficult battle

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When Mai and Sesshomaru reached the camp, Rin greeted then with enthusiasm and Jaken kept complaining, till Mai silenced him with a steamed bun. The girl was about to unpack the items she bought, but Sesshomaru already ordered the group to leave. Mai wanted to protest, but kept her mouth shut, not to anger him anymore today. She did her best finding something out about Naraku, but that arrogant jerk behaved like a sadist again. The girl turned to Ah-Un, lifting the heavy bags and gave the creature her best smile.

"Will you help me carry those, Ah-Un?" she asked, only to be given a declining roar from the dragon.

Eventually, Mai bribed him with carrots to be her mule and she packed on his back everything she bought. Along the way, Mai, Jaken and Rin were enjoying the taste of food – the girl bought fruit, dried meat, cheese, rice, sweets, steamed, buns and dango. The child and the green imp were literally stuffing themselves with it, Rin was trying some kinds of food the first time in her life. Mai had to watch them, to keep the pair from eating all the supplies at once. In the meantime she dressed the kid in a new kimono – a yellow one, which suited her nicely. The girl noted to herself, that she had to wash the child thoroughly and do some laundry, when an opportunity presents itself.

However, Sesshomaru dictated a harsh pace – they stopped rarely and only for a few minutes. What was worse, they kept going after the sunset. Rin was soundly asleep on Ah-Un, covered with an old kimono. Jaken was less talkative than usual and Mai kept tripping in the darkness.

"Jaken, do something." Said Mai to her green companion as she staggered and yawned, while covering her mouth with a sleeve. The short demon sighed and looked at her with equally weary eyes as hers.

"You do." He responded. Mai snorted.

"I'm not suicidal. You go." The girl tried to talk Jaken into telling Sesshomaru to take a break for the night.

The green demon sighed and spoke up quietly.

"Sesshomaru-sama…Mai asks when will we stop." Jaken said. Mai sent him her poisonous glare. Sesshomaru looked at them coldly over his shoulder.

"Tell her, that she should blame herself for the wasted time." He said and turned his gaze back in the direction, where he was walking. Mai hissed with irritation. He was blaming her! If not her, he wouldn't know where to go at all! What an idiot! The girl stayed quiet, not feeling up to another quarrel with the demon, knowing that it would end with him grabbing her throat or something like that anyway. She cursed under her nose and focused on walking without tripping.

The sky was already becoming brighter in the east, when Sesshomaru finally stopped and decided, that it was time to rest.

"Two hours." He said shortly and walked over to Ah-Un. Mai opened her mouth in disbelief. Only two hours? How sadistic could he be?

The demon approached sleeping Rin and surprised Mai noticed, that he gently patted the child's head. He scooped the kid with his only arm and gently lifted from the dragon's back. He laid her under the tree and sat beside the sleeping kid. Rin mumbled something in her slumber and snuggled into the fur, Sesshomaru was carrying over his shoulder. However, the demon showed no sign of irritation. Mai thought, that there must be a bond between him and the little girl. She wondered sometimes how came, that he was dragging the child with him all the time, even though he stated, that he hated humans.

Too tired to contemplate, Mai helped Jaken free Ah-Un from the packages and prepared herself for sleep. She laid one of her old kimonos on the ground and used other one to cover herself with. She didn't know, when she fell asleep.

Mai moaned, as she felt swaying. She stretched her arm slowly and yawned. Then, she opened her eyes and looked around, blinking. She realized, that she was laying on Ah-Un's saddle.

"Good morning, Ah-Un." She said sleepily and yawned once again.

Wait, what was she doing on the dragon? The last thing she remembered was falling asleep in the forest…

"You're awake, Mai!" The girl heard Rin's happy voice.

The child was skipping beside Ah-Un, carrying a bouquet of flowers in her little hand. Mai pulled herself to the sitting position and wrapped herself in the kimono, she was covered with.

"Hi, Rin. What time is it?" she asked the kid. Rin laughed.

"It's already past noon, sleepy head!" she exclaimed, parodying the face, that Mai always made, when she was scolding the kid. "You were sleeping so sound, that Sesshomaru-sama put you on Ah-Un."

"Oh." Mai was surprised. She would rather expect the silver-haired demon to kick her, like he did the last time or do something equally violent instead of letting her sleep. The girl looked around. Sesshomaru was leading their group, as he always did, and Jaken was staggering in front of the dragon, holding the reins.

"Jaken?" asked Mai. As the green demon turned back, she saw, that he was barely alive from the lack of sleep. God, what problem Sesshomaru has? Does he want all of us to die of exhaustion? She jumped of the creature's back and took the reins from Jaken.

"Jaken, it's your turn to sleep." She said firmly. The green imp didn't even show a bit of will to argue. He climbed instantly onto the dragon and was snoring after a while. Mai reached to their packages and took out a few carrots.

"You're screwed, Ah-Un." She said to the creature. Both heads nodded in agreement. "Here, have some carrots."

Mai fed the dragon and Rin, tried to brush the girl's hair, what was quite difficult, because Sesshomaru wasn't slowing down. The girl encouraged the child to sing a song, then played with her in a memory game. Soon, the kid got tired and Mai lifted her and placed next to Jaken, on Ah-Un's back, wrapping her tightly in the kimono. The child tried to argue, but Mai knew better.

"Rin, you'll get cold! The wind is chilly!" Mai stated, putting the cloth around the little girl, making sure her bare feet were covered as well.

"But Mai…" whimpered Rin.

"Rin." The older girl suddenly heard Sesshomaru's deep voice, as the demon looked at them. "Listen to what Mai says."

The kid nodded obediently and put the kimono on her head as well. Mai muttered "thanks" to the tall demon and turned her attention back to Rin, who curled herself in the ball and closed her eyes. The older girl hummed a lullaby for a while, until the child fell asleep.

The sun was low over the horizon, the sky began to take the color of blood. Mai was walking in silence for some time, but got bored quickly, as Ah-Un wasn't very entertaining, especially on the second day of marching without break. She looked at Sesshomaru's back and sighed. She ran to the demon.

"Sesshomaru?" she started.

"What is it, woman?" the demon asked. Mai snorted. So he's back to calling me "woman"?

"When will we make a break?"

"Later." He answered in a tone, that indicated the conversation was over. Irritated Mai furrowed her brows and said nothing. She turned to him to ask him something, but she saw a tense look on his face, as he abruptly looked in the western direction. She wanted to question him, what was wrong, but she didn't have time.

Sesshomaru whirled around, drawing Tokijin.

"AH-UN!" he yelled suddenly. The dragon jumped and leapt into the sky, obeying its master. Jaken and Rin woke up and clutched onto the saddle. Then Mai lost her breath, as Sesshomaru grabbed her in the waist and jumped forward in the last moment to avoid a great beam of energy, that hit the ground in the place, where they were standing just a moment ago. When Sesshomaru landed, he ordered the girl to get behind him. Mai peeked from behind his back at the attacker and gasped in shock.

This one was way bigger than the previous one. The opponent was a huge dragon, his scales were grayish and – what worried Mai the most – his claws and teeth were enormous. To her surprise, the creature spoke in deep, eerie voice.

"What do we have here? Isn't it the son of man, who sealed my brother?" the dragon spoke. "Sesshomaru it is?"

"Hn." Sesshomaru only snorted, not willing to answer his opponent.

"And your little hanyou brother finished my honorable relative, from what I've heard." The creature said. Sesshomaru hissed with anger, as thought the dragon just pulled some string.

"I have never considered Inuyasha my brother." Sesshomaru spoke, lifting his sword. The enemy laughed. Mai gasped in surprise, as she learned, that the silver-haired demon had a brother.

"Too bad. Now I'll take your life to avenge my brother Ryuukotsei!" the huge youkai growled and prepared himself for attack.

Sesshomaru was faster. He already leaped forward, leaving Mai. He attempted to slash the dragon's flesh with Tokijin, but the scales were so hard, that he didn't even manage to scratch him. He advanced at his opponent once again, but the effect was the same. The dragon swirled with his long tail like with a whip, targeting Sesshomaru. The dog demon avoided the attacks, as he moved with his unnatural speed. Mai noticed, that the dragon's goal was to keep Sesshomaru at distance. The silver-haired youkai fought fervently, jumping around his opponent, looking for weak points, without avail. The dragon's mouth glowed, as he accumulated the energy for attack. The dog demon calmly raised his sword and Mai noticed the blue glow, as the demonic energy swirled around the blade. The dragon spitted with energy beam.

"SOURYUUHA!" Sesshomaru cried and Mai was blinded by the clash of the two energy attacks. There was an explosion, that shook the ground. The girl checked, if Rin was safe. Luckily, Ah-Un glided so high, that Mai could barely see the two-headed creature. When she turned her attention back to the battle, she noticed, that Sesshomaru managed only to change the trajectory of the dragon's lightning beam. The opponent laughed.

"You can't even scratch my body, Sesshomaru. You will end, like the Inu no Taisho did!" the enemy taunted Sesshomaru. Not good – thought Mai. – He's trying to make Sesshomaru loose his focus.

"He's trying to anger you, Sesshomaru! Don't let him!" she shouted to the silver haired demon.

The enormous dragon turned his attention to Mai. The girl made a step back and looked around, not being able to decide in which way should she run.

"A human woman, Sesshomaru? Well, like father like son." The enemy mocked the dog demon. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, enraged. The dragon accumulated the energy again. Sesshomaru lifted his sword, ready to deflect the attack, but when the opponent was about to hit the dog youkai, he abruptly changed direction and the beam flew straight at Mai.

The girl gasped, not being able to shout. She watched in terror, as the great energy ball was approaching and she knew, that she'll be dead in a second.

Sesshomaru darted towards her, throwing Tokijin away and unsheathing his other sword. He got to Mai in the last moment. He landed between her and the danger, rising the sword, as the wave of energy hit. The girl clutched Sesshomaru's back and saw the flash of green light. After a moment everything stopped. Mai with relief noticed, that she was still alive. The dog demon fell to his knees, panting heavily, as he supported himself with a sword.

"So you managed to protect yourself and the woman with the sword's barrier? Impressive." Said the huge dragon, as he started gathering energy again. "But you will die anyway."

"Mai," Sesshomaru spoke. "get on my back and hold well."

"What?" the girl asked, confused, but decided to obey him. She climbed on his back and entwined her arms and legs around him, trying not to limit his moves.

Sesshomaru leaped into air, avoiding another attack. He sheathed his sword and retrieved Tokijin. The opponent kept mocking the dog demon and sending lightning beams towards him, but Sesshomaru didn't risk to attack the dragon and only avoided the attacks.

Mai was gripping the demon desperately, scared of falling. She frantically searched for the enemy's weak point. Sesshomaru couldn't pierce the hard scales and Souryuuha was no good either. There must be something more… Mai kept observing the opponent and then she realized it – he wasn't completely covered in scales! There was a chance.

"Sesshomaru," she whispered. "Target his eyes. They aren't protected with scales."

Sesshomaru without any warning leapt up, avoiding dragon's tail and beam attack. Mai shrieked, scared by sudden movement. With surprising speed the dog demon found himself by the enemy's head and pierced the left eye, burying Tokijin to the hilt in the flesh and then pulled the sword out. Sesshomaru jumped back, as the dragon cried in agony and fell to the ground, making everything shake.

"He's dead?" Mai asked, as Sesshomaru floated in the air.

"Yes." The demon answered.

Ah-Un approached them, with Jaken and Rin on the back. The both of them were relieved, that Sesshomaru and Mai were alive.

"Follow me." Said the dog demon and he glided southwards, Ah-Un flew after him. Mai yelped and strengthened her grip.

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Neither of them noticed a figure clad in a white baboon pelt, who was observing the whole situation. He chuckled, as his eyes followed the dog demon and his companions.

"That woman may prove useful in the future." He said to himself and disappeared.

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**Ok… advertising Chapter 22 "Private laundry service": there's half-naked Sesshomaru. Please make sure to send me a lot of your reviews (I love reading what you think), so that I could share the newest chapter!**


	22. Private Laundry Service

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Hi, here's the next chapter. Please review so that I could update sooner.**

**Next, I would like to thank everyone, who supports me by commenting, giving constructive critique and simply sharing the opinion. Special thanks to my regular reviewers: nana, ravenscry21, ShadowNekoSakura, Tsukino Aisuru – A, amiranny, Lady Wednesday, Sell Chan, pugaddong, kira5468 and others. I'm happy to have you encouraging me. Please keep doing it and I will continue to do my part (Yeah, a lot of chapters!).**

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**Chapter 22**

**Private laundry service**

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In the morning Mai stirred under the kimono she was covered with. She pulled it on her head to avoid the bright sun and curled into the ball. After a longer while she stretched her limbs lazily and peeked from under the fabric.

The sun was already high on the sky, birds were singing, but there was something missing. Mai pulled herself abruptly into the sitting position and looked around, to discover that she was completely alone. She started to panic that they left her behind, but she heard Rin's laughter, quite near. She gathered her belongings and made her way towards the source of the sound. As she passed the thick bushes, she found her group at the riverbank.

Jaken and Rin were catching fish in the river. As the kid saw her, she waved do her. Mai waved back and looked for Sesshomaru. The dog demon and Ah-Un were resting in the shadow of a great tree. Sesshomaru was sitting with his back leaning on the tree, the two swords on his lap. The girl was surprised, that he removed his armor, which was laying beside him. Mai made her way to the silver-haired youkai.

When she approached him, he arched his eyebrow, as if questioning what she wanted.

"When we're leaving?" Mai asked him. Sesshomaru averted his gaze from her to look at Rin.

"Tomorrow. Today we rest." He answered her.

Mai stared at him, surprised that he actually granted them a day of holiday. As she couldn't think of anything better to do at the moment, she sat beside him and observed Jaken and the kid, as they tried to catch fish. Both the girl and the demon were silent for a longer while.

"Sesshomaru," Mai spoke up, looking at the youkai. "I wanted to thank you for saving me yesterday. I'm really grateful for that. You risked your life for me."

"Hn." The demon muttered, not looking at the girl. Mai sighed. Apparently he was a man of few words. Or just hated her guts. She was surprised when he spoke to her. "You were useful yesterday. You may be worth keeping."

Mai stared at him, unsure whether he just complimented or insulted her. How dare he speak of her as if she was his belonging or a pet?! She gritted her teeth and refrained herself from blurting out a snappy comment. She didn't want her free day to be ruined by Sesshomaru's threaths.

She looked at the cloudless sky and decided, that today is a perfect day to do some cleaning and laundry. She clasped her hands and got up, suddenly full of energy. She marched to the packs and took out a soap bar and old clothing, that could be used as a towel. She made her way to the river.

"Rin!" she called. "It's time for a bath!"

Mai took off her outer kimono, leaving only the thin white one on, rolled her sleeves and went to the water to snatch Rin. The kid tried to run away, but Mai managed to catch her and held her still. She removed the child's clothes and passed them to Jaken. She began to wash the kid thoroughly, ignoring Rin's whimpering. When Mai was finally satisfied, she pushed the child under the water to wash off the soap. Mai yelped, surprised, when Rin pulled her into the water as well. When she emerged, she heard the kid's contagious laughter. The older girl joined in and they laughed together. Jaken shook his head with dismay.

"Foolish humans." He muttered.

When the girls were finally able to stop giggling, they got out of the water and Mai wrapped Rin in the fabric, which served as a towel. Her soaked kimono clung uncomfortably to the body, but she decided not to change – she would get wet again.

"All right. Next, Ah-Un!" she said aloud. The surprised dragon raised the both heads. Then, Mai removed the creature's saddle and pulled the reins, ushering the dragon to come with her. After a while Ah-Un, defeated, followed Mai.

The girl managed to make it's scales shine in the sun, and, as a side effect, Sesshomaru's battle steed smelled of roses now.

She dressed Rin in a new kimono and gave her several pieces of paper and drawing utensils, which she bought for the child in the town the other day. Kid's eyes brightened as she saw, what Mai gave her.

"Try drawing something for Sesshomaru, okay?" the girl encouraged Rin, who nodded enthusiastically and got to work right away. Satisfied, that the child would be occupied for a while, she looked around and saw Jaken, who was obviously bored. Mai smirked evilly and cornered the green imp.

"Jaken, I have something for you." The girl said with a wide smile, passing a cloth and polishing agent to him. "I think, that Sesshomaru's armor needs polishing. Do your best!"

With a satisfied smirk on her lips, she gathered a pile of dirty clothes and made her way to the river.

She had an odd feeling, as if she was observed from some time. She excluded Rin, who was busy drawing and Jaken, who was now a polishing machine. Ah-Un tried to avoid her, so he couldn't be a suspect. That left only one person. She looked back at Sesshomaru. The demon was sitting still in the same place, gazing at something in front of him. She thought, that she must had imagined it. She went towards the river and knelt at the riverbank, starting to wash the kimonos.

She didn't notice, that the golden eyes returned to observing her discreetly.

Mai scrubbed the clothes, finding the blood stains hard to get rid of. She rubbed the troublesome place with the soap and dipped the fabric in the water, scrubbing fervently and splashing water everywhere. She was so busy struggling to get kimonos clean, that she didn't notice someone approaching her from behind.

"Woman." She heard Sesshomaru's voice and she nearly jumped, startled. She furrowed her brows and continued scrubbing the dirt of the fabric, as she decided not to turn around, until she would hear him call her by her name. For god's sake! If he called Jaken by his name, why would he keep addressing her as a 'woman'? Mai heard a growling voice behind her, when Sesshomaru began to lose his patience.

"Woman!" he repeated, his voice showing anger. Mai trembled slightly, but didn't change her mind. She would just ignore him, the way he did it to her most of the time.

Then, she felt a pressure on her back and lost balance. Sesshomaru shoved her into the river and Mai fell forward, falling into the shallow water. She got her head over the surface quickly, coughing and trying to get rid of the water, she just drank. The girl cursed loudly, pissed off at a demon, who just kicked her into the water. She got up slowly, soaking with water, her damp hair plastered to the face. She turned around to grace that bastard Sesshomaru with the most elaborate insults, she could think of, but stopped in midsentence. The girl felt her blood rushing to her face.

In front of her stood the silver-haired demon, dressed only in his hakama. Mai felt her jaw dropping and blushed, as she looked on the half-naked man. And it was a sight to behold. She found herself admiring his perfectly toned muscles – a perfection in every inch. God, she could see even his bare hips, with the twin magenta stripes, similar to those on the cheeks and wrist. Mai could feel her heart pound faster at the sight of demon's naked torso – in her short life she haven't really had a chance to look at many men's bare chests and Sesshomaru was undoubtedly the most attractive man she ever saw. And will see, probably. Before she averted her gaze from him, she noticed, that his left arm was indeed missing, only a stump remaining.

She looked elsewhere, but as soon as the demon saw her attention to divert from him, he began to emit a low growling noise in his throat. Mai looked back at him and noticed, that he was holding his clothes in the right hand. He dropped them casually atop the pile of Mai's kimonos, that were still to be washed. After ensuring, that she saw it, he turned away.

Mai's mouth gaped open, as the girl came to her senses. Did that arrogant jerk just leave his clothes for her to wash? She wasn't his private laundry service! Angry woman gritted her teeth.

"What do you think you're doing?!" she called after him, stepping out of the water. "I'm not going to wash these! I'm not your maid!"

Sesshomaru looked at her over his shoulder with a dangerous glint in his eye.

"You are my servant, human. You will obey me." He said and was on his way.

Mai felt anger welling in her. How dare he? She won't let him treat her like some slave! Without thinking much, she picked up a stone, a larger one and narrowed her eyes, aiming.

"I hate you!" she shouted and threw the stone at Sesshomaru with all her force, fueled by anger.

She expected the demon to dodge or catch it, given his unnatural reflexes. To her surprise, the stone actually hit him squarely in the back of his head.

Mai cursed, panicked. He'll kill her for sure for this. The demon slowly turned around and glared at the girl. His eyes were expressionless, as he started stalking towards her. She glanced nervously to the sides, looking for a possible escape route, but Sesshomaru appeared right in front of her in a heartbeat. She yelped, frightened, as her eyes met his intimidating glare. In a desperate attempt to get herself away from him she pulled herself back, forgetting, there was river behind her. She accidentally stepped on something slippery and felt losing her balance. As she was falling back, she grabbed the first thing she could, to prevent the fall. However, she went down, while clutching Sesshomaru's silver strands, pulling the startled demon along with her.

"Ouch!" she whimpered, as her body made contact with the stony riverbed. She yelped again, when something heavy crashed into her, pining her to the ground. She lifted her head above the water level and opened her eyes, blinking, as her face was wet again. At first she saw only a lot of something white. Her body stiffened, as the certain something, what was sprawled atop of her, began shifting.

"On no." she whispered, as she realized to whom belonged the silver strands, that were clinging to her wet skin.

Sesshomaru pulled himself a little bit up, supporting his weight on his only arm and brought his face closer to Mai's. The girl flinched, noticing, that his eyes glowered dangerously. She wanted to apologize, explain herself, but she couldn't stop her lips from trembling. Mai froze with fear, when she saw Sesshomaru smiling wickedly, showing his sharp fangs.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Mai!" The girl stiffened and felt the demon doing the same, as they heard Rin's voice. Her eyes widened and blushed, when she realized the position, they were in. Apparently, Sesshomaru did as well. The demon abruptly pulled himself to the sitting position, pulling the girl up. They saw the child standing near the riverbank and smiling happily, as she lifted a piece of paper, proud with herself.

"Look, what I drew." She exclaimed. Then the child furrowed her brows in a cute way. "What were you doing, Sesshomaru-sama?"The kid questioned the dog demon with childish innocence.

The youkai wasn't answering for a while. He stood up, still silent. Mai decided to break the uncomfortable silence.

"You see, Rin, I tripped and Sesshomaru was helping me…" the girl explained the situation the best she could, smiling sheepishly. The kid nodded and followed the demon, who was already walking away. Mai sighed heavily and got on her feet. She dragged herself towards the pile of clothes, picked up Sesshomaru's haori and began to wash it.

About the dog demon, Mai hoped, that they would get along somehow with the time, but he seemed to enjoy bulling her even more. And his grin a while ago scared the shit out of her. Jaken was right – Sesshomaru was terrifying, when he was smiling.

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Jaken kept polishing Sesshomaru's armor, even though it was shining already. Rin got tired of drawing and decided to show her works to Sesshomaru. She kept babbling happily, describing, what she drew on each picture. The soaked demon sat, drying in the sunlight and glancing at the child from time to time. He didn't really listen to his little ward, as his thoughts were concentrating on the other human.

The woman proved herself to be more useful than Jaken – she managed to obtain information on Naraku and even aided Sesshomaru in the battle, not that he needed the assistance of a human… She was fulfilling her duties toward Rin quite well – the child looked cleaner and healthier now. The idiot woman, however, still kept causing trouble. She had an unique talent of making him lose control and feel the urge to snap her delicate neck. Even though she knew, that it was better for her not to anger him, she kept arguing, ignoring his orders and defying him. Sesshomaru noted to himself, that he will have to make her know her place.

His eyes followed the idiot woman, as she left the riverbank, carrying a pile of wet clothes and tied the rope between two trees. She started hanging the kimonos, humming some melody. The demon could not notice, that her wet kimono clung to her body, exposing her tempting shapes, as she was climbing on her toes to hang the laundry. Sesshomaru thought, that because of her feisty temper and defiant altitude, he didn't really realize how small she was. She could be mistaken for a child if not her womanly curves. The demon wondered, how clueless could she possibly be to wander around in such an improper attire, especially in the company of men.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin tugged his hakama to get his attention, showing him her childish drawing. The little girl gave him a worried look with her huge chocolate eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Hn." He muttered, averting his gaze from the troublesome human woman, who made him have those strange thoughts.

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Mai managed to avoid Sesshomaru for the rest of the day, occupying herself with minor tasks, like combing Rin's hair and teaching the child how to write. With her eight years, she was old enough to know how to read and write already. After an afternoon spent on drawing basic characters Mai put the girl to sleep and decided to rest earlier today as well.

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**Please review.**


	23. A shattered mirror and a broken blade

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Hey, folks. I'm glad that you're shared your comments with me – I liked them very much! Uff… I have to admit, that writing this story is like writing a script for 'Bold and Beautiful' (my grandma watches it for decades). I mean, that I've got so many ideas and they refuse to be contained in just a few chapters.**

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Chapter 23

A shattered mirror and a broken blade

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**Elsewhere**

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The Inuyasha's group left another village after defeating a minor demon and replenishing the supplies.

"Kagome, don't you have any of the snacks from your time?" the hanyou complained. Kagome sighed.

"Inuyasha, you ate all the snacks." Kagome reminded him. Inuyasha groaned and kept walking, lazily observing Miroku trying to grab Sango's bottom, only to get whacked with Hiraikotsu on the head. Then he stopped and sniffed the air. Shippo looked at him.

"What is it, Inuyasha? Is it Naraku?" asked the fox demon. The whole group turned their attention to the hanyou, gripping their weapons.

"No." answered Inuyasha, shaking his head. "Humans and horses."

After a while they heard the sound of galloping horses and a small unit of samurai appeared in front of them, blocking the road. The hanyou gripped Tessaiga and assumed a battle stance, but Miroku and Sango dashed between him and the samurai. The monk looked over his shoulder.

"Don't do anything rash, Inuyasha. Let me and Sango handle this." Said Miroku. The monk turned to the soldiers and asked in a gentle voice: "Which one of you, honorable samurai, is the commander?"

"It would be me." Said a young man, riding forward. Miroku noticed, that he was merely a boy, about of Kagome's age. "I heard, that you are a group of youkai slayers. You will accompany me to the castle. The lord has a job for you."

Kagome gripped hanyou's sleeve and shook her head. She didn't like the idea of a fight with the samurai – she hoped, that Miroku will be able to get them out of the situation.

"Why should we? We don't even know, who you are!" exclaimed Sango and gripped Hiraikotsu tighter. The young man looked, as if he lost some of his confidence.

"Forgive me for my rudeness." He said, bowing his head to them. "My name is Hiroyoshi Shinji and I am a samurai in the service of Lord Asakura, who rules the entire Echizen province. I have orders to bring youkai slayers to the castle. I didn't want to threaten you."

Miroku furrowed his brows. "Is there a problem with a youkai?"

Shinju nodded and frowned. "Yes, but you will have to talk to the Lord about the details. I am forbidden to say more. However, the slayers, who will kill the demon, will be handsomely rewarded."

"Rewarded?" repeated Miroku with a glint in his eye at the mention of the money. The fact was, that they spent the rest in the village and would use some. And if the Lord would pay a huge reward, it would suffice for months of journey. The young monk glanced at his hanyou friend. Without doubt, Inuyasha could handle most demons, so the risk was marginal. He clapped his hands.

"Samurai! We'll take your offer!" he stated.

"What?!" the whole group exclaimed, staring at Miroku with disbelief. The monk smiled sheepishly.

"I'll explain along the way." Said monk.

"We can't waste time!" Inuyasha yelled at Miroku, waving with his fist. Kagome patted him on the shoulder.

"It's only a little detour." She said, taking Miroku's side.

Kagome and the group followed the samurais to the Asakura Castle. The schoolgirl wondered at the size and the splendor of the castle. An older woman greeted them at the gates and led through the endless halls to a great room, where only one man sat, presumably the Lord. The woman motioned the group inside.

"Welcome to my castle, slayers." Said the man in deep baritone. As they approached him and were seated near him, Kagome noticed, that he looked very weary, as though he experienced something, that broke him. In the room were the Lord, the old woman and their group. The lord sent Inuyasha a distrustful look.

"What task would you have for us?" asked Miroku, bowing politely.

"I want the youkai, who kidnapped my daughter dead. And I want my child back." Stated the man straightforwardly, his eyes showing lots of emotions from pain and sadness to anger.

"The princess was kidnapped by a youkai?" asked Sango curiously. "Please tell us more. It could be helpful."

"Very well." The man took a deep breath. "Amayami-hime is my only daughter and heiress to the Asakura line. About two weeks ago she was on her way to the temple, accompanied by her fiancée, servants and escort. Suddenly, a youkai appeared out of sky, slaughtered the men and took my poor Amayami…"

"How did he look like?" asked Kagome. The old crone spoke instead of the lord:

"It is hard to say, the servants fled in panic and none of them saw him clearly. It is only certain, that he had human-like form."

"Feh!" Inuyasha spoke up. "You don't know how he looked like, who he was and you expect us to find him?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded him. "Can't you track her by the scent?"

"After so many days it's impossible. She was probably eaten already." The hanyou said with a snort. Kagome sent him a warning glare. Miroku sighed heavily and excused them from the room, declining lord's offer.

As they were on their way back, Kagome noticed the young samurai, Shinji, waiting for them at the gates. When he saw them, he approached their group. He carried a wrapped package and a scroll.

"Did you accept the task, miko?" he addressed Kagome. Surprised girl only shook her head. Shinji sighed, disappointed.

"Oh. I understand. But, please, can you take a look at these, please? Maybe it could give you some clue!" he pleaded, as he passed the package and scroll to Kagome. His face showed desperate determination. "Please, the princess is a special person to me!"

Kagome took the items without word, feeling pity for the man. She passed the scroll to Shippo, who was sitting on her shoulder. She stared to unwrapping the parcel. When she did, she gasped in shock. It was mainly shattered glass and a plain wooden frame. She recognized the pentagonal shape.

"Where did you get it?" Kagome questioned the young samurai frantically.

"It belonged to the princess! Before she was taken, she went to the temple every day and discussed some things with the priest, including this mirror. I thought, it was important and…" Shinji answered nervously.

"Where is the priest?!" Kagome interrupted him.

"Dead." Said the samurai. "Killed by the youkai."

"Kagome-chan?" Sango questioned the girl, surprised and worried by her behavior. "What's wrong?"

Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I think it's Mai. The princess." She said slowly.

"Your friend?" asked Inuyasha. Kagome nodded. The group sighed heavily. The girl took a scroll from Shippo and unrolled it. She saw Mai's face, but with longer hair and make-up. She rolled the scroll back and passed back to the fox youkai.

"That's definitely her." She said with a grim expression. The group fell silent. When they finally found out Kagome's friend's new identity, it turned out, that she was kidnapped by a demon.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome.

"She may be still alive." He said quietly. "We'll find her, Kagome."

The girl looked at hanyou, grateful, that he comforted her. Inuyasha furrowed his brows and turned to Shinji with a newfound enthusiasm.

"You! Tell us exactly, what the girl did before the youkai took her!" the hanyou ordered, scaring the young samurai. "Tell where she went, who she met, what she touched, everything."

"Ehh… she was going to the temple every day, through the village and Aiko-san taught her etiquette in the evenings…" began Shinji, eying at the half-demon, who began to lose patience.

"Did she meet someone suspicious, someone not from the castle?" Inuyasha continued questioning. The young man was thinking for a while and then paled, as he remembered something.

"Oh no… She met someone like that. Amayami-hime played near the temple with an orphaned girl for couple of days. The child wasn't from the village and one day was just gone. And soon after the princess was kidnapped!" Shinji buried his face in hands.

"A little girl?" asked Sango. The samurai nodded.

"About eight years old, looked like a normal, cheerful child." He answered.

The monk turned to the demon-slayer.

"Do you think, that it may have been a demon in disguise?" Miroku asked her.

Sango was about to answer, but she was interrupted by Shippo's sudden cry of surprise.

"Everyone, that's that suspicious woman!" the fox demon exclaimed, showing the scroll to everyone. Miroku came closer and examined the painting closer.

"Shippo's right. It's the same woman, we met in the merchant town three days ago. She had shorter hair, though."

Kagome sighed with relief. "She's alive."

"She mentioned, that she was working for a man, who was searching for Naraku…" Miroku was thinking loudly. "And if the little girl is linked to this somehow…"

The group members looked at each other, coming to the same conclusion.

"SESSHOMARU!" they exclaimed at the same time.

"Impossible." Stated Inuyasha. "She's a human."

"But Rin-chan is a human too." Commented Kagome.

"But to kidnap a woman…" Sango wondered.

"Slaughtering the men would fit." Miroku pointed out.

"I's going to be a big problem." Shippo sighed.

"Excuse me…" Shinji interrupted shyly. "Who is that Sesshomaru?"

"My brother." Inuyasha answered. "And an evil bastard."

**Back in the camp…**

The next day Mai got up earlier and went to wash herself in the river, when everyone in the camp, except Sesshomaru, was soundly asleep. When she returned, she saw, that Jaken was already making breakfast, chatting with Rin. Sesshomaru was fastening his armor. The dog demon drew Tokijin and examined it. Satisfied, he stuck it back in place and unsheathed the other sword. Mai noticed, that there was a large crack along the blade. Jaken made a loud squeak.

"Sesshomaru-sama, Tenseiga is broken! Your father's fang!" the imp wailed. Sesshomaru sheathed the sword. Mai could see, that he was unusually bothered – obviously the sword was important for him.

"Can't it be fixed somehow?" she asked Jaken. The small demon had tears in his eyes.

"Stupid! Maybe Totosai could fix it, but…"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Mai interrupted him. "Sesshomaru should ask him for help!"

"There is a problem." Jaken sighed. "Totosai doesn't like us."

"Oh." Mai thought, that it was to be expected. Knowing Sesshomaru, he must have terrorized that Totosai in some way. If only the dog demon could behave normally once…

"I'm sure, that Totosai would fix the sword, if he was asked nicely." She said sarcastically, looking at Sesshomaru.

"Hn." Snorted the demon. He turned around, but he seemed to have changed his mind and looked back at Jaken and Mai. Both his servants froze, as if expecting something terrible.

"Woman," he addressed Mai after a moment. "Are you certain, that you could persuade Totosai?" he asked. Confused girl looked at him suspiciously. What was he up to?

"I guess…" she answered hesitantly.

"Jaken." The demon ordered. "Watch Rin. We shall be back by the end of the day."

"We?" Mai repeated, suspecting the worst. "What do you mean we?"

Sesshomaru stalked to her and grabbed her obi. She tried to push herself away from him, but he was holding the cloth firmly.

"You are coming along as my servant." Sesshomaru explained patiently.

Mai felt, that her nightmare was coming true. She wanted to avoid him as long as possible after the incident during the previous day and now she had to spend a whole day alone with HIM. Why?

Jaken glued himself to Sesshomaru's leg, wanting to take Mai's place.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Don't leave me behind!" Jaken wailed. Mai nodded vigorously.

"Take him!" she agreed. Sesshomaru tried to shake the imp of his leg, but he was gripping strongly and looking up at the tall demon with teary eyes.

"Take me instead of the stupid human woman!" he continued wailing. Mai wanted to murder him at first for the insult, but reconsidered.

"He's right! I'm only a stupid human woman. He's a demon – take him!" she tried to convince Sesshomaru. The dog youkai growled.

"Enough! Both of you!" he yelled, throwing Jaken of his leg. "Jaken, you stay. Mai, you are coming along. Do not dare to disobey me!"

His both servants fell silent, startled by a sudden display of anger. Mai whimpered, as Sesshomaru violently pulled her closer to him and formed a cloud beneath their feet. When they started to lift off the ground, she reached out with her hand desperately.

"Jaken!" she cried.

"Don't fail Sesshomaru-sama, Mai!" the green demon shouted back.

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**Please keep reviewing. The next chapter is almost completed.**


	24. The demon's true form

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Hi, everyone. I wanted to update earlier, since I got so many reviews from you (thank you!), but I just got home from my friend's wedding. Sniff… it was so beautiful… such a shame, that Mai and Sesshomaru aren't getting along at all… Maybe it will change in this chapter? Read to find out!**

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Chapter 24

The demon's true form

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Sesshomaru was getting more and more irritated, as Mai kept shrieking and clawing at him. She even managed somehow to tangle her legs around his. The girl was really scared of flying to the point of madness.

"Stop it, woman!" he ordered harshly, but she squeezed him even harder.

"Stop it!" he repeated.

"I can't!" panicked Mai shouted back at him. "I'll fall!"

"You will not!" he growled, but she didn't listen to him at all and kept whining and screaming. Sesshomaru decided to make a stop and they glided towards ground. When they landed, Mai let go of him immediately and sat on the ground. The demon narrowed his eyes, as he glared at her.

"I'm sorry, but I can't." mumbled Mai, struggling to catch breath and steady her racing heartbeat.

"Explain yourself." Sesshomaru demanded. The girl sighed.

"I have fear of heights." She said, her voice still trembling. "Every time I'm in the air, I panic. And that cloud…" she shivered at the thought.

"Come, we must be on our way." Sesshomaru said, grabbing her wrist and trying to get her beside him. The girl started to struggle with desperation, fear in her eyes.

"No, not the cloud!" she shrieked and kept fighting, not even noticing, when Sesshomaru strengthened his grip. After a while of struggling, the demon released her, seeing no point in arguing with her when she was in such state. The girl took her time to calm down.

"When you flew on Ah-Un, you did not seem to be that terrified." Sesshomaru said to her, remembering, that there was some trouble with the landing.

"I was scared of you more." She answered. The demon arched his brow. "And I felt more secure sitting on something solid."

Sesshomaru stayed silent for a while, as he was considering something. He sighed.

"There is no other choice, then." He said. "I will transform into my true form. Stand still, woman."

The girl nodded, unsure what he meant by that. His true form?

Then the air around Sesshomaru began to change. A strong wind swirled around him. The girl took a step back, not knowing what the hell was going on. She saw the magenta stripes on the demon's cheeks becoming jagged and gasped, as his eyes turned red. Suddenly, Mai got scared and felt the urge to escape.

"Stay where you are." The demon ordered, noticing her fear. "I will not harm you."

Then the clouds of his youki engulfed him and Mai had to squint her eyes. She saw his head changing its shape into animalistic one and the human form of the demon disappeared, as he transformed into a huge dog. His size was enormous. Mai couldn't gaze away from this creature. The dog had white fluffy fur and red eyes. On his head were Sesshomaru's demon markings. So this was his true form… She knew, that he was a dog demon, but she didn't really think, that he was indeed a dog.

To Mai's surprise, the dog laid on the ground and barked at her, pointing with his head at his back. She realized, that he wanted her to get on. She ran to him, not wanting to make him waiting. When she was at by his side, she reached to touch the fur. As she thought, it was fluffy and silky. Sesshomaru growled, obviously wanting her to get on already. Mai clumsily managed to climb up. When she was finally on his back, she grabbed the fur.

"I'm ready." She stated and as on her signal, the dog demon leapt into the sky.

Mai felt wind on her face. All around her was white soft fur. Strangely, she felt relaxed, even though they were gliding above the clouds. The girl snuggled into the warm fur and purred. She thought, that she liked Sesshomaru in his true form. He was fluffy and, as a dog, seemed to be less intimidating.

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Sesshomaru was surprised, that the woman did not panic, when she saw his true form – she seemed rather amazed than afraid. The flight went smoothly as well. She was quiet and asleep – the demon could hear her regular breaths. He was pleased, that she stopped foolishly shrieking. As they were almost at the destination, Sesshomaru decided to wake her up. He growled. The woman stirred on his back, snuggling into his fur even more. He barked loudly.

"What is it?" Mai mumbled, pulling herself into the sitting position. Sesshomaru flew towards the ground. The woman grabbed his fur stronger and screamed. The demon realized, that was rather scream of excitement than fear. She reminded him of Rin now. As he landed on the ground and stopped, he laid on the ground to enable the woman getting off. Mai let out a disappointed sigh, when the ride was over. Carefully she slid of his back.

Sesshomaru transformed back into his usual form. He looked at his servant. The woman was smiling brightly, her eyes glistening with joy. The demon found it strange, that the idiot woman actually enjoyed herself, while most humans would be horrified.

"Let us go." Sesshomaru ordered. The girl trailed behind him eagerly.

"Okay." She said in abnormally happy voice. The demon looked at her with suspicion. She was unnaturally obedient for her. When Mai noticed, that he was studying her face she looked back at her and curved her lips in a smile.

"Something's wrong?" she questioned him.

"Why were you not afraid of my true form?" he asked her. The woman opened her eyes wider and parted her lips.

"Why should I?" she responded with a question.

"Most humans would fear it." Said Sesshomaru. Mai laughed, as though he said something hilarious.

"Well, I don't. In my opinion, your true form is amazing. And I would like to thank you for the ride. I really enjoyed it." Mai told him, not mentioning to him, that she preferred him as a big fluffy dog than his usual asshole self.

Sesshomaru averted his gaze from the woman, baffled with her answer. He felt pleased with the compliment, but was confused by her sudden change of altitude. He looked at her once again and saw, that she was observing the surroundings with curiosity. The dark fire land did nor scare her either.

"Totosai lives there?" she asked, pointing the large skull. The demon nodded.

"Okay." She spoke, determination on her face. "I'll do the talking and you try not to scare him away."

"Do as you wish." He said indifferently.

When they approached the Totosai's smithy, a voice cried:

"Go away! I won't forge a sword for you!"

Mai sighed, wondering, what the smith had against Sesshomaru.

"Totosai-sama!" she called. "We would like to talk to you, please!"

There was a silence for some time. Then, an old man, a demon, appeared, peeking nervously. He was dressed in some greenish rags and had abnormally big eyes, a little like Jaken.

"Hello." Said Mai, bowing politely and presenting her most charming smile, that Aiko taught her.

"Who are you, miss? Are you some kind of a princess?" he asked, gesturing at her clothes. Mai blushed.

"Well… you can say so. My name is Mai. Nice to meet you." She responded, remembering, what she learnt in the Asakura castle. She made a step towards the old man.

"You are a human." The man stated, narrowing his eyes with suspicion. Mai rolled her eyes inwardly. Again this human crap!

"I am." She said, taking another step forward.

"What do you want here, miss?" he asked her, keeping an eye on Sesshomaru, who was glaring maliciously at him from the place, where he was standing. Mai made a pleading face, which always helped her in convincing the teachers to give her higher marks.

"Totosai-sama, could you please fix…" damn, she forgot, what the sword name was, something beginning with T, but what? She turned to Sesshomaru. "Sesshomaru, what was again the sword's name?"

"Tenseiga." The demon answered her.

"Right, Tenseiga. Please!" Mai copied Rin's puppy eyes. The smith gasped.

"Tenseiga is broken?" he asked. Mai nodded.

"It's cracked, pretty badly. There was a fight with a huge dragon demon, really strong, and it attacked me. I thought, that I was going to die, but Sesshomaru came and shielded me with the sword. And it cracked." The girl finished her story and there was a long silence.

"You must be dreaming, miss." Totosai said at last. "Sesshomaru would do no such thing."

Mai felt, that she began to lose her composure. The old man didn't believe her! Old prick! She put her hand on the hips and narrowed her eyes.

"Don't you dare to accuse me of lying, old man!" Mai fumed, about to begin her tirade. "Sesshomaru may be a sadist with serious attitude issues, but he saved me a couple of times already! So cut your crap and fix the damn sword!"

The girl finished, huffing and eying Totosai angrily. The smith stared at her with his enormous eyes. Sesshomaru turned around to hide an amused smirk.

"He did?" asked Totosai.

"Yes, he did." Mai answered, folding her arms. The smith sighed heavily.

"All right, miss, I will reforge Tenseiga." He looked at Sesshomaru. "Bring the sword in, boy."

Mai and Sesshomaru followed Totosai to the smithy. The dog demon passed the sword to the old man, who unsheathed it and winced, noticing, how damaged it was.

"Not good." He stated. "With such damage, the original material won't be enough." Stated Totosai, shaking with his head.

"Can't you just use some steel to patch it up?" asked Mai. Both Sesshomaru and the smith stared at her.

"What?" she asked, unsure, what she said wrong. Totosai cleared his throat.

"Tenseiga is not a sword made of steel, miss. It is forged from the fang, that belonged to the Dog General, Sesshomaru's father. When he was still alive, he ordered me to forge two swords from his fang – Tessaiga and Tenseiga."

"Oh." Mai was quite taken aback by the explanation. "What about the other sword?"

The girl noticed, that Sesshomaru tensed, as though she just pulled some string.

"The younger son of the Inu no Taisho inherited it." Answered Totosai, while preparing his tools. Right, Mai remembered, that the dragon demon mentioned something about a brother. Mai wondered if he was as ill-tempered as Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru" the smith addressed the dog demon and approached him with large pincers in his hands. "I will need a fang of yours."

Mai turned observed as Totosai tried to pull Sesshomaru's tooth out and the dog demon was growling in protest.

"It will grow back in a day." Totosai promised. The silver-haired youkai finally opened his mouth and let the smith do his work. Fascinated Mai observed, as the old man managed to blend somehow the fang with the sword, fixing it.

"That's an amazing job. It looks like new." She complimented Totosai.

Mai realized, that the dog demon was quite attached to Tenseiga – it was understandable, as he got it from his late father. She could understand it, as she treasured her heritage as well, having lost her own parents. However, she didn't really get to see him use the sword aside the time, when it cracked. Usually he drew Tokijin. Mai thought, that she won't have a better opportunity to satisfy her curiosity.

"Sesshomaru, why don't you use Tenseiga more often?" she asked and almost immediately regretted it. The demon got angry and turned around, his back to Mai and Totosai.

"It's useless." He stated. Mai furrowed her brows.

"Tenseiga is a sword, that cannot cut anything from this world." Totosai said, sighing. "Actually, I am very proud of this one, but Sesshomaru doesn't seem to like it."

Mai wanted to question more about the mysterious sword, but the smith sheathed the sword and passed it to Sesshomaru.

"Done." He said. The dog demon grabbed Tenseiga and placed it beneath his obi. He turned around and set off. Mai followed him.

"Sesshomaru!" called the old smith. The silver-haired youkai turned around. Mai did too. "Your father would be proud of you."

The girl thought, that it was nice of the old man to say something like that. Totosai continued, as he pointed at Mai.

"She's a beautiful and smart woman, a fine match."

The girl needed a moment to realize, what the old man was talking about. The she blushed and opened her mouth to protest, but Sesshomaru was faster.

"I do not share my father's feelings towards humans. One more word and I will kill you." The demon said coldly and walked away. Mai waved to Totosai and ran after him.

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**Pleas share your opinion with me. I'm curious, what you think.**


	25. A troublesome green crayon

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Thanks for sharing your opinion, everyone. I'm glad, that you like the story so far and I'll do my best to keep it that way.**

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**Chapter 25**

**A troublesome green crayon**

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"Are we near, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, as they were running through the forest, Kagome on hanyou's back and Kirara flying behind them with Sango, Miroku and Shippo on her back.

"I smell the stench of Jaken, the dragon and the kid, but that bastard Sesshomaru has gone somewhere!" answered Inuyasha. Miroku and Sango prepared themselves for the fight. "We're almost there!"

A moment later the hanyou and his companions reached a clearing at the riverbank. Kagome got off, when Inuyasha stopped. They looked around. Sesshomaru's dragon was eying them warily, ready to attack any moment. Jaken narrowed his eyes and clutched Nintoujou. Rin, on the other hand, smiled happily and waved to them. Kagome waved back.

Being impatient as usual, Inuyasha leapt to Jaken and glared at him, lifting the clenched fist.

"Hey, Jaken, where's Sesshomaru?" he yelled at the imp. Jaken waved with the staff threateningly.

"It's not your business, Inuyasha!" he shouted back. "Anyway, what are you people doing here?"

"You…" Inuyasha growled, ready to punch Jaken. He moved his arm, but…

"OSUWARI!" cried Kagome, making her way to Jaken, Rin and Inuyasha, who was now laying face-flat on the ground, cursing. The girl sighed. "Inuyasha, don't hit him without a reason!"

"Jaken," Kagome addressed the imp. "We are looking for my friend. Her name is Mai. Is she somewhere around?"

The green demon and Rin quickly exchanged glances.

"Who's Mai?" asked the little girl with innocent look on her face. Jaken couldn't believe that Inuyasha and the miko instantly fell for the lie.

The hanyou's group stayed on the clearing for a while, discussing, what to do next. Rin and Shippo were drawing together and the girl was in awe, when the fox demon showed her the crayons, he got from Kagome.

"What now?" asked Inuyasha, angry, that all the effort was for nothing.

"I have no ideas." Admitted Miroku, sighing. "I was sure, that it was Sesshomaru, but now…"

Sango clasped her hands, as her eyed brightened.

"She said, that the one, she was working for was chasing Naraku. That is our only clue, so if we head towards Hanemasa, we'll meet eventually."

Kagome sighed.

"I guess, that's the only option. I hoped, that we'll find her today, though… At least I know, that she is alive."

"Ekhem!" The whole group looked down, noticing Jaken, who glared at them, eager to get rid of the hanyou and the troublesome humans, before Sesshomaru-sama and Mai arrive. "Now, when you saw, that your friend is not here, can you all get out?"

"Ha!" Inuyasha exclaimed, as he managed to punch Jaken.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome said, glaring at the half-demon. Inuyasha yelped, expecting Kagome to say "the word" again, but she didn't do it.

"We should go." Sango said. "It would be best not to engage in the fight with Sesshomaru today."

Inuyasha muttered something under his nose, but after seeing Kagome's scary face, he agreed with the demon-slayer.

"Hey, Shippo! Come here!" he called the little fox demon and they left soon.

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Jaken waited till the stupid hanyou Inuyasha and his human friends vanished at last. He sighed heavily, leaning on the Nintoujou. The green imp was grateful, that Rin came up with the lie so quickly.

"Jaken-sama?" asked the girl, tugging his sleeve. "Why was Inuyasha sama looking for Mai?"

Jaken stayed silent and shrugged his shoulders. It was strange indeed. It seemed, that the weird miko, who was travelling with the hanyou, knew the woman – she referred to her as a friend. The imp had a feeling, that Mai was hiding something – and Sesshomaru sama won't like it. Jaken sighed again and was about to go and make a meal, when he heard Rin calling him.

"Jaken-sama, look!" the girl explained, pointing the sky. The imp looked up. A huge white dog was gliding towards them. Sesshomaru-sama in his true form! Jaken squinted his eyes and noticed, that the human woman was sitting on the dog's back, snuggling into the soft fur. The green demon muttered a curse under his nose, as he got jealous.

Sesshomaru let the human girl slide of his back and transformed back. Rin ran towards the pair to greet her protector and Mai. The silver-haired youkai stiffened, as he picked up his half-brothers scent, that was all over the place.

"Jaken. Was Inuyasha here?" the tall demon demanded. Jaken gulped. Mai crouched to Rin.

"Who's Inuyasha?" she asked the little girl quietly, trying to remember why the name sounded familiar to her.

"He's Sesshomaru-sama's younger brother, but they don't really get along well." Rin explained.

"Jaken!" Sesshomaru nearly growled, growing impatient. The imp bowed deeply.

"He and the humans were here." Jaken admitted, eying the woman with suspicion. "They were looking for Mai."

"Mai?" the dog demon repeated slowly, turning his gaze to the surprised woman.

"Me?" she asked. She gasped, startled, as Sesshomaru glared at her furiously.

"Woman, what connection do you have to Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru demanded, as he stalked closer to her, anger in his voice. Mai was confused. How could possibly know his brother? And, more importantly, what an another demon would want with her?

"I've never met your brother! I've never even heard his name before!" Mai responded to the accusations. Her answer, however, only angered Sesshomaru more. The demon grabbed her shoulder and pulled the girl to him, bringing his face closer to his.

"Do not dare to lie to me, woman." He said quietly, warning in his voice. Mai flinched, as she felt, that he was gripping her so strongly, that there will be a bruise left. She looked him in the eye defiantly.

"I didn't lie to you. Now let me go!" she screamed at him. Sesshomaru wasn't moving for a while, studying her face and then he released her. Mai pulled herself away from the dog demon, touching her aching shoulder.

Jaken cleared the throat.

"Mai, the miko clearly said your name." the green imp stated.

"Tch! I have never seen any miko in my whole life." Pissed Mai retorted. Then something, that Jaken said caught her attention. Her name? Did he mean her actual name of this of the Asakura princess?

"What do you mean - name?" asked the girl. "Did she say 'Mai' or 'Amayami'? Which is it?"

Jaken frowned and looked at her with pity.

"You stupid human! You don't know your own name? Of course, she called you Mai."

Mai paled. Only Rin, Sesshomaru and Jaken knew her real name, Ah-Un couldn't be really counted in. Then how the hell a bunch of strangers found out about it? Should she worry? Was she in danger?

Mai was deep in thought, that he didn't sense an ominous presence right behind her, until she heard a low, growling sound. She slowly turned around. Sesshomaru was towering over her, piercing her with his icy-cold glare.

"What are you hiding from me?" he asked calmly. The girl knew, that it was silence before the storm. She tried of figuring out how to calm him, but she just couldn't think clearly at the moment. She noticed, that Sesshomaru's youki began to swirl around him, the stripes on the cheeks jagged. The girl yelped.

Fortunately, the help came just in time. Rin skipped to the silver-haired demon and tugged his sleeve, glancing at him with her puppy eyes.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" she called with her sweet voice.

The demon's wrath subsided immediately, everything about him returned to normal. Rin began showing him the stones, she found in the river, while chatting happily. Mai sighed, grateful, that the kid managed to avert the demon's attention from her.

Mai went to the packages, fished out a needle and a thread and started fixing old clothes, hoping, that Sesshomaru won't bother her, when she is busy. Rin continued occupying him and Jaken was napping. Mai hissed, as she pricked her finger with a needle again. She hated, how this day, that began unexpectedly pleasant, was now completely ruined.

The sun began setting, when Rin came to cheer her up. The child sat down, clutching one of her drawings in her hand. She observed Mai's work for a while.

"Mai, will you teach me how to sew?" the kid asked. The older girl made a break in her work and looked at Rin.

"Of course, kid. Once you'll know how to read and write." She said, ruffling the child's already messy hair. The kid sighed heavily.

"I wish you and Sesshomaru-sama would get along better…" the child said quietly, gazing at her with a childish seriousness in her eyes. Mai was at loss. What should she tell the kid? Should she lie? She couldn't possibly tell Rin, that the hell would freeze sooner, before her idolized protector would become a civilized… demon.

"Rin…" she began, but the kid interrupted her, shoving a piece of paper in her hands.

"Look, what I drew especially for you!" she smiled at the older girl happily.

Mai smiled and thanked the cute child and took a look at the picture. Rin's drawings were only a little more than stickmen, but she could recognize the kid in the middle, who was holding Sesshomaru's hand with her left hand – Mai smiled to herself, as she saw, that the demon in the drawing was smiling widely, something he never did. The kid's other hand was supposedly gripping Mai's. Jaken and Ah-Un were also in the picture, rather in the background. The girl saw, that Jaken's skin and her kimono were green, while the rest was black and white.

"Rin, where did the green color come from?" she asked. The child grinned and reached to the pocket in her kimono's sleeve. The girl placed a small item in Mai's hand. The young woman looked at the object and froze, her eyes wide open.

On her palm laid a green crayon, the most normal green crayon labeled with a logo of producer and a tiny inscription "made in China". How did it get here? Then, Mai's thought began racing wildly. It was definitely from her era, so did it manage to go back in time? How? The girl lifted her head and gripped Rin's shoulder.

"Rin, where did you get this?" she questioned the child.

"A friend gave me." Answered Rin hesitantly. Mai narrowed her eyes and gripped the kid stronger, not even realizing, that he was behaving like Sesshomaru did a while ago.

"What friend?" she kept asking. Rin stared at her, a little scared by a sudden change in her friend.

"Shippo." Said the child quietly. Mai released her. Shippo? She knew that name… Then it clicked – Shippo was the little fox youkai, travelling with the perverted monk.

"Is this Shippo a fox demon?" she asked Rin, who nodded.

Mai didn't know, what to think of it. The demon kid had a crayon from her time. Did he find it somewhere? There were facts, that needed to be linked. The girl took a deep breath and tried to think logically for a while. She met Shippo and the monk… what was his name… in the town, a couple of days ago. She was a stranger to them and they didn't know her name. Now this Shippo appeared, when she and Sesshomaru was gone. Then the dog demon made a fuss about his brother Inuyasha, who was also here. So Shippo and the monk were with this Inuyasha. And probably some miko, who Jaken mentioned earlier. The whole group must have known who she was and something about the time-travelling. Maybe they discovered how it's done?

Mai looked at the crayon in her hand. It was a proof, that returning home was possible. She had hope again. Till now, she was convinced, that she will die as Sesshomaru's servant, but the fate just presented her with a chance to change it. She decided, that she will find this Inuyasha and make him help her go home. To do it, she will have to escape Sesshomaru first. She shivered, when she remembered, that he promised to kill her, when she would try to run away from him. Her life was at stake, so she will have only one chance.

This time she won't be so reckless – she will prepare. First, she will ask Jaken about Sesshomaru's brother. Then, she will have to locate Inuyasha and wait for the convenient time.

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Mai left Rin and went to find Jaken. Luckily, the imp was picking mushrooms in the forest, quite far from Sesshomaru. Mai offered to help the green demon and started conversation.

"Jaken, can you tell me about that Inuyasha? He's Sesshomaru's brother, right?" she asked. Jaken suddenly got angry.

"Yes, the blood of Sesshomaru-sama's great father flows in the veins of this despicable hanyou, but you can't compare that filthy half-breed to the impeccable youkai like Sesshomaru-sama!" he snapped. Mai almost forgot, how loyal to his master Jaken was.

"Hanyou? Half-demon, half-human?" she asked. If he and Sesshomaru shared the same father, then they had different mothers. And was Inuyasha's mother a human?

"Yes, a total disgrace of the entire clan." Jaken complained.

Mai wondered, what made Sesshomaru hate his brother. Was it the fact, that his father had a child with another woman or was it just the hatred for humans in general.

"Jaken, what wrong did Inuyasha to Sesshomaru?" she asked.

"His existence is a disgrace already. Sesshomaru-sama's father died because of Inuyasha and his pathetic human mother! And he cut his left arm off and got Tessaiga, which should have belonged to our master!" Jaken cried.

Mai gasped, surprised, that it was Sesshomaru's own brother, who cut his arm. It was an understatement, that they didn't get along. But if Inuyasha managed to wound Sesshomaru so, he would be able to protect Mai from her boss. The only problem would be to get to him safely. First she had to know, where he was. That could prove itself quite troublesome.

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**Please comment and I might be able to post another one today.**


	26. Mai's most difficult decision

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Here's the second chapter today. Please write me your opinions!**

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**Chapter 26**

**Mai's most difficult decision**

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Mai spent the next days on planning the escape. She reviewed in her mind endless scenarios. As she had been sent to the human villages, she kept asking about Inuyasha, but the peasants couldn't help her. She stole a couple of golden coins from her errand money, so that she could pay for food and buy a horse. The girl worried about being pursued by Sesshomaru – she knew, that the demon could track her by her scent and could travel faster than any rider. She had too many problems to solve…

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Sesshomaru glanced at his group over the shoulder. Rin was bothering Jaken with her foolish childish games, while the Mai sat on Ah-Un, her face focused. The dog demon noticed, that the woman's behavior changed since she learned, that his idiotic little brother came searching for her. Once cheerful and noisy, she seemed to be unenergetic these days and always deep in thought. She rarely entertained Rin now, mostly finding out such tasks for the child, that the Rin was occupying herself. The woman was not speaking with Jaken much either, what was strange, since those two were the main source of commotion. Not to mention, that she dropped her insufferable habit of defying him. Every time he gave her an order, she carried it out instantly without a word of complaint. Something was indeed odd about her.

The demon suspected, that the woman hid a secret, a secret, that could be somehow linked to Inuyasha. He was unable to get Mai to tell him, what it was. So Sesshomaru had no other choice – he had to get his answer from the other party. He intended to pay his little brother a visit.

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Sesshomaru ordered the group to stop and set up a camp. Jaken wondered, why they made a break so early – it was just a couple of hours after the sunrise. Overjoyed Rin ran over to a nearby meadow to pick up some lilies, that grew there.

"Woman." He addressed Mai and noticed, that she did not correct him. "There is a human village nearby."

With this words he tossed the leather bag with money, she managed to catch. She nodded in response, noticing the cabins in the vicinity. Sesshomaru thought, that her silence was unnerving to him. Although it seemed absurd, he preferred when she was her usual disobedient self. The problems of a human should not be of any concern to him but still…

"I'm going." Said Mai dryly, setting off to the village. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. This time she did not ask him, if she could take Rin with her, what she usually did – and he always declined. The demon averted his eyes from the back of the woman and turned to Jaken.

"I will leave now. Watch Rin." He ordered. Jaken ran to him on his short legs.

"Sesshomaru-sama, where are you going?" asked the green imp.

"I must pay Inuyasha a visit." The dog demon said and leapt into the sky.

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Mai clutched the leather bag, as she was marching between the rice paddies. She saw the peasants abandon the work and point with their fingers to the sky, somewhere behind her. The girl turned her head to see, what unnerved them so much. She gasped, as she recognized a familiar shape, gliding in the air. It was Sesshomaru. She furrowed her brows. "Was he off somewhere alone?" – she wondered. The girl decided, that she will find it out from Rin or Jaken anyway, so she the sooner she'll be done with the shopping the better. Mai quickened the pace.

The village, she entered was poor. The people were dressed in rags and were skinny. The cabins were tiny and in terrible condition. Mai thought, that she wouldn't find much food here. Everyone was staring at her, the expensive attire stood out. She quickly locked the wealthiest house on and made her way towards it. The abode of the village's leader was just a shack a little bigger than the others and had less holes in the roof. She knocked and waited for an answer, shifting uncomfortably under the gazes of the peasants.

Soon an old man came to greet her. He was dressed in a plain kimono, that had some stains on it and he had so many wrinkles on his face, that Mai couldn't really count them all. When he saw her, he gasped, his mouth wide open. He was about to bow deeply, but Mai stopped him.

"There's no need." She said quickly, supporting the old man, as he stumbled. The village leader kept staring at her. Mai sighed, as she came to conclusion, that she had to start this conversation. "I'm just passing by and wanted to purchase some supplies. Do you have by chance any food to sell? I'll pay with gold."

The man gasped in shock, as she mentioned gold, his eyes glittering.

"We don't have much, but we'll sell you some of our meager crops." He said, motioning her to follow him to the storage room. "In these days it'd difficult to make ends meet in the small villages like this. The young men go to the war instead of growing crops. What we plant, ends up taken by either the samurai or the robbers. And youkai plague us as well, as if humans weren't enough."

Mai didn't know, what to answer. She knew from the history textbooks, that the conflicts in the Era of the Warring Provinces caused poverty among civilians, but never imagined, how it looked like in reality. The simple people, who wanted to live their lives peacefully, were the victims. She never noticed this aspect of the feudal era before – first she lived in a castle as a princess. Now, when she was Sesshomaru's servant, she had no right to complain either. Her stomach was always full and she had fine clothes on her back.

The old man gave her a few radishes, two carrots and a small barrel of rice – that was all he could spare. Mai thanked him and gave him a handful of golden coins. Surely Sesshomaru wouldn't miss them. The village leader stared shocked at his hand, not believing that he held so much money.

"My lady, it's too much… I can't…" he mumbled.

"Take it." She said firmly. "Take it and make sure that everyone has a full stomach."

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She grabbed her small package and said goodbye to the old man, who was now in tears. She quickly made her way back. As she passed by one of the shacks on the outskirts of the village she noticed a woman bandaging a child's arm. The woman was dressed in white haori and red hakama – a traditional miko outfit. Mai passed by, thinking what dinner can she make of radishes and rice. She will have to keep it simple. If only she had some meat…

"Wait!" Mai heard a sharp voice of a woman. Startled, she turned around. It was the miko, who called her. The woman continued dressing the child's wound, but was looking at Mai warily. The girl felt almost like miko's gaze was piercing right through her very soul.

"You do not belong here." Said the woman. Mai froze, creeped out by her words, unsure what she meant by that.

"W-what?" she uttered. The miko finished her work and stood up.

"Your body is of this world, but your soul does not belong to this place." The woman said.

Mai's eyes widened. The girl felt a feeling of panic and confusion welling in her. How did she know?

"How?" Mai gasped. "How did you…"

The woman smiled. It was a bitter smile, full of deep sorrow and regret.

"You and I are the same. Our souls dwell in this world, although they should not, trapped in the bodies that are not ours." She stated, her voice was calm. Mai sighed, deciding, that there was no point in keeping her secret from the woman anyway.

"I'm lost here." She admitted. "All I want is to go home."

"Home?" the miko repeated. Mai nodded, feeling, as her tears begin to well. Suddenly, she became venerable, consumed by her fears and homesickness.

"But everything goes wrong. If only I could find Inuyasha!" the girl whined, wiping the tears from her cheeks with a back of her hand. The miko gasped at the mention of hanyou's name.

"Inuyasha? You are looking for Inuyasha?" asked the woman. Mai's head snapped up. She was surprised - did the miko know Sesshomaru's brother?

"You know, where he is?" Mai asked, with desperate hope in her eyes. "Please, tell me!"

The miko shook her head.

"I do not know, where is he now. But I can tell you, where is the place, where you will meet him sooner or later." The woman responded. "In the eastern direction there is a village, where a sacred tree Goshinboku grows. You will most likely find him there."

Miko picked up a stick and drew a map in the dirt of the road.

"Memorize the way." She told Mai.

The girl focused on the drawing and let the every detail engrave in her memory. This was the moment. She had a chance to go back to her time now. Everything told her do take the opportunity – she knew the way, Sesshomaru was away, but still, something held her back. When leaving this world, she will leave her misery behind, but the good memories as well… the strolls with Shinji… collecting flowers with Rin… chatting with Jaken by the campfire… gliding with Sesshomaru across the skies, when he was in his true form. She wanted to escape all this? She didn't knew anymore. You don't belong here. Those were the miko's words. This wasn't her life. Her life was left on the other side of the mirror – that was the world, where she was born, where her father raised her, where her friend Kagome was. Here, she was living in a borrowed body, stealing princess's life. What gave her right to do that?

"Your horse. Can I borrow it?" Mai asked miko, making up her mind. The woman studied her face for a moment. Then, she nodded. The girl unfastened the reins from the wooden pole and mounted the horse. She turned to the priestess.

"Thank you. My name is Mai, by the way. I'm grateful." She said. The woman looked at the horizon, her long hair were flowing, as the wind blew.

"Is that what you want?" she asked silently. Mai looked at the horizon as well.

"It is what I must do."

Mai grabbed the reins tighter and positioned herself better on the animal's back. She was about to set off, but she remembered something. She turned to miko.

"Miko, what's your name?" she asked. The woman turned to look Mai in the eyes, a sad expression on her face.

"Kikyo."


	27. Ride in the rain

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Hey, folks. I'm so happy, that everyone commented so much! Thank you. Your reviews really motivate me to write more chapters. Ok… prepare for action and drama! Mai's great escape begins!**

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**Chapter 27**

Ride in the rain

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Mai rushed her horse and rode out of the village. As she reached the top of the hill, she turned back to look once again at the village, where she met miko Kikyo. The girl was on her way home - it was, what she wanted. Then why did she hesitate? Mai clenched her fists on the reins, ready to depart.

"Mai! Mai!" She froze, as she heard familiar voice calling her name over and over again. Mai turned the horse and saw Rin, running towards her, smile on her face. In her little hand she held lilies, she gathered on a meadow. The child stopped a few meters from her and looked at Mai with the brown eyes. A single tear dropped on the woman's cheek.

"Mai?" asked the child, as the smile disappeared from her face and the flowers fell scattered at her feet. Mai clenched her teeth and turned her horse.

"I'm sorry, Rin." She said quietly with her back to the girl, not being able to face her. She kicked the horse strongly. The animal neighed and leapt forward, speeding to the gallop.

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Mai kept forcing the horse to keep up the murderous pace. She felt the wind slowly drying her tears. She regretted leaving Rin behind, but it was her ultimate goal – to get home – and she couldn't let herself be distracted. She had to concentrate on the basics and that meant not getting herself killed by pissed Sesshomaru. Mai hoped that Inuyasha would be in the place, Kikyo told her of. If not, she would be dead. That was the risk, she had to take. She kicked the animal again, not letting it slow down. She must get to Inuyasha before Sesshomaru gets to her.

The girl felt more and more drops of water falling on her. As she looked up, she saw, that the sky was covered with thick rain clouds. Then the downpour came, soaking Mai to the bone. Her hair was plastered to the face and she barely saw, where she was going. The horse's steps were unsure now, as it was sliding on the slippery mud. The girl cursed, but determined moved forward. She tried to think of the rain more of an ally than an enemy. It made the ride more difficult, but it also washed her tracks and scent away, what would hinder the chase.

She managed to gallop for a couple of hours more in the heavy rain. How many, Mai didn't know, as she didn't see the sun. The horse grew weary, but still galloped, rushed by the girl. The animals hooves were splashing mud. The girl wiped the water of her eyes the best she could and saw the bridge, miko told her about. She estimated, that she was about in one third way now, quite a good pace, considering the weather conditions. She kicked the horse's sides to make it go faster. The animal tried to speed up, but stumbled suddenly. Mai swayed in the saddle, but gripped the mane and held herself with her thighs. However, the animal didn't manage to regain balance. It neighed and fell on the side, crushing Mai's leg. The girl struggled with the horse to free her limb. Thankfully she did it after a while, mainly thanks to the slippery mud. She was now covered in mud from heads to toes. She stood up and tried to encourage the horse to get up. Something was wrong. The animal was thrashing and neighing without a break, but wouldn't get up. Then, she noticed, that one of the horse's legs was twisted at a strange angle. Mai cursed, as she realized the horse had a broken leg. She felt pity for the pained animal and decided on the act of mercy – she owed that to the animal.

The girl reached inside her kimono and pulled out a knife, she bought in a village some time ago. She kneeled by the horse's head and unsheathed the blade. She pointed it towards the bottom of the jaw.

"I'm sorry." She muttered, before thrusting with all her might. The animal squeaked and trashed more, but stilled, as the knife pierced its brain. Mai pulled the blade out and wiped it with her kimono, as her tears mixed with the rain on her face. Being not able to afford to waste time, she stood up, sheathing her knife. She untied her obi and threw off the heavy silk kimono. It would only slow her down. She tied obi, slid the knife behind it and was again on her way.

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**Meanwhile…**

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There could be a loud slapping sound heard, as Sango hit the perverted monk again, leaving a red mark on his face. Shippo sighed.

"Miroku will never learn." Stated the fox youkai, shaking his head. Kirara in her kitten form meowed in agreement.

"It's the curse on my hand." Said Miroku, smiling sheepishly. Sango glared at him maliciously and the monk backed away.

"It's his personality, that's cursed." Kagome commented and Inuyasha nodded. The hanyou suddenly stopped, sniffing the air. Kagome looked at him, alarm.

"Inuyasha?" she questioned him. The half demon tensed and grabbed Tessaiga's hilt.

"Everyone, stand back!" he said, narrowing his eyes. "That bastard is coming!"

The whole group came closer, Miroku and Sango with their weapons ready to attack, shielding Kagome and Shippo. The fox demon stirred nervously on Kagome's shoulder.

"Inuyasha, did you mean by that…" the kid started.

"Sesshomaru!" exclaimed Sango, as the lightning ball collided with the ground right in front of Inuyasha and none other than the demon Sesshomaru emerged from the light, emitting his menacing aura. The red-clad hanyou drew Tessaiga. The sword transformed immediately. The youkai stood still, not making any move.

"What do you want, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha yelled, assuming the battle stance and growling at his brother.

"Hn." Sesshomaru snorted. "I am today not in a mood for your foolishness."

"Bastard!" Inuyasha snarled and leapt forward, swinging the sword at the demon. Sesshomaru avoided the attack easily by jumping back.

"Very well." Said the inu youkai, drawing Tokijin. "I have come here to learn, why you bother my servant. However, if you do not wish to answer me, I shall gladly FORCE YOU!" Sesshomaru yelled the last words, charging at Inuyasha. Startled hanyou lost his balance for a while, but parried the blow to counterattack. The both brothers were exchanging blows, jumping all over the place, the sound of clashing swords echoing. Then, Inuyasha leapt back to keep Sesshomaru at the distance.

"KAZE NO KIZU!" he yelled, swinging with Tessaiga. When it seemed, that the older brother wouldn't be able to dodge or parry, the demon lifted Tokijin.

"Souryuuha!" the youki of his sword clashed with Kaze no kizu and the explosion threw both of them back. Sesshomaru landed gracefully on the ground, while Inuyasha fell on his back, but pulled himself quickly up, panting. The hanyou and youkai were glaring at each other, neither was the victor.

"Sesshomaru, you're getting so worked up over Jaken?" Inuyasha mocked his brother, while trying to catch his breath. The demon narrowed his eyes, irritation showing on his face.

"This Sesshomaru was not talking about Jaken, you good-for-nothing." He said. The hanyou snorted and lifted Tessaiga.

"Feh! I don't care about your servants! Prepare yourself, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha yelled and charged at his brother and the swords clashed again. The demon narrowed his eyes, anger on his face.

"What did you want with her?" demanded Sesshomaru, attacking hanyou from above. Inuyasha yelled and put all his force in the blow.

"I don't… Gah!" cried startled half-demon, as the older of brothers twisted his wrist and knocked Tessaiga of Inuyasha's hands. The sword landed out of the hanyou's reach, transforming itself back.

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"Her?" asked Sango, as the rest of the group was observing the fight from the safe distance. "Maybe we weren't wrong, after all."

All eyes turned on the slayer and then on Kagome, who gasped loudly and darted to where Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were.

"Kagome-sama!" shouted Miroku after her.

"Come on!" Sango said, grabbing Hiraikotsu and rushing after Kagome.

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"SESSHOMARU, STOP!" Kagome screamed, as she was running towards the two fighting brothers. Now, disarmed, Inuyasha was at a disadvantage, with only his claws against Sesshomaru. At the sight of the approaching girl, hanyou's eyes widened in fear for Kagome's life. What was that stupid girl thinking? Noticing, that his brother turned his attention to Kagome, Inuyasha leapt forward.

"Sankontessou!" he cried in attempt to slash Sesshomaru. It didn't work, but at least he found himself between the demon and Kagome.

"Inuyasha, wait a moment." Said the girl to him and peeked from behind his back to look at Sesshomaru. "Sesshomaru, is Mai travelling with you?"

The demon glared at Kagome, completely ignoring Inuyasha.

"What connection do you have to that woman, miko?" he questioned the girl. The half-demon growled.

"Don't answer him, Kagome!" Inuyasha told her, but she wouldn't listen.

"She's my friend!" Kagome shouted back to Sesshomaru. "We want to take her home!"

The demon studied the girl's face for a moment and then slid Tokijin under his obi.

"The human woman belongs to me now." Sesshomaru stated and the bright light engulfed him, as he prepared to take off in the ball of light. He flew away in no time.

"SESSHOMARU, YOU BASTARD!" yelled Inuyasha after him.

"Inuyasha, follow him!" Kagome shouted to the half demon, climbing on his back.

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**Elsewhere…**

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"Don't cry, stupid!" Jaken scolded Rin. The child didn't stop crying ever since she came back and told him, that the other human girl escaped. That's going to be a trouble. Speaking of trouble…

Sesshomaru landed gracefully in the middle of the camp, what made the child stop crying, as she glanced at him. The demon looked around, the upset girl caught some of his attention. He turned to the green imp.

"Jaken, where is Mai?" the inu youkai asked, narrowing his eyes. Jaken squeaked and hesitated to answer. Rin started wailing again.

"S-s-sesshomaru-sama!" the imp exclaimed, bowing deeply before the master. "She… escaped."

"Escaped?" repeated Sesshomaru slowly. Jaken raised his head and squeaked again, as he saw, that his master's eyes turning red – a definitely bad sign. His master looked like he was barely controlling his wrath. The imp yelped, as Sesshomaru smiled, baring the fangs.

The dog demon sniffed the air and leapt into the air. Rin stood up and ran after him.

"Sesshomaru-sama, where are you going?" she called after him. The demon looked at his ward over the shoulder, his eyes still red.

"Hunting."

Jaken and Rin stood side by side in silence for a few moments. The girl was the first to break the silence.

"Jaken-sama, what do you think Sesshomaru sama will do to Mai, when he finds her?" the child asked. Jaken sighed heavily.

"For something like that… I'm sure he will kill her." He responded. Rin's eyes widened in panic. She grabbed the imp's shoulders and shook him.

"We can't let him! We must save her!" she screamed. Jaken tried to calm the silly child down, but she was climbing on Ah-Un already.

"Come on, Jaken-sama!" she called, waiting for him to get on as well. The imp cursed under his nose. Seeing no other choice, he climbed clumsily onto the dragon's back.

"Let's go Ah-Un. Hurry!" Rin cried.

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**Thanks for reading. What do you think?**


	28. The unfortunate meeting

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Hey, everyone! Ready for action? Thank you for commenting and please continue – it makes my day, when I get up and read your reviews, while eating my breakfast. It gives me positive energy for a whole day of hard work and to continue writing in the evening. Enjoy! **

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**Chapter 28**

**The unfortunate meeting**

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"Left!" Inuyasha shouted and Kirara changed the direction. The whole group was crammed on the back of the cat demon, following Sesshomaru's scent.

"Look!" shouted Sango, pointing the shape ahead of them. "Kirara, get close!"

The cat demon roared and picked up speed. It turned out, that it was Sesshomaru's dragon, with Jaken and Rin on his back. The child looked back.

"Inuyasha-sama!" she exclaimed, waving to them. Kirara found herself next to the Ah-Un.

"Jaken, where's Sesshomaru?!" Inuyasha demanded. The green imp pouted.

"You stupid…" he started, but was interrupted by Rin.

"Inuyasha-sama!" said the child with pleading look in her eyes. "Sesshomaru-sama went after Mai and he wants to hurt her! Please help her!"

Kagome gasped and tugged the hanyou's fire rat.

"Inuyasha, we must hurry." She said firmly. The half-demon nodded and Kirara leapt forward, followed by Ah-Un.

Kagome prayed, that they would get in time to see her friend alive.

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**Elsewhere…**

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Mai stumbled and fell on her knees in the mud, not having any strength left. The rain was stopping and she saw the glimpse of the setting sun. She was almost sure, that she was on the right way and most of the distance was already covered. When she was about to give up, she reminded herself, that she passed the point of no return – now she could only go forward. With all the willpower, she forced her body to get up, her knees trembling from exhaustion. Slowly, she made her way along the path, step by step, but forward.

It took a lot of effort, not to stray from the path in the night. The forest was dark, the light of moon and stars couldn't penetrate the shadow cast by the trees. From time to time she heard rustling and all kind of noises made by animals. Every time, she flinched, thinking it was Sesshomaru, who would want to murder her. And that will probably happen, if I don't get to Inuyasha soon. - She thought, speeding up despite her sore legs.

"Dad, mum, I will get out of this alive." She muttered, encouraging herself. With a newfound determination, she marched to her destination.

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Sesshomaru was circling over the forest. The heavy rain made following the woman's scent difficult, so he had to blindly search for any trace of her, hoping, that he will find it by accident.

The demon gritted his teeth, as he thought, what his servant hid from him. She was an acquaintance of the miko, his despicable hanyou brother's woman. He entrusted his ward to her and she kept something like that secret. The whole time he let her travel with him, he kept her safe and fed and now she dared to escape from him! He couldn't forgive her such ingratitude.

Sesshomaru growled with fury and changed the direction of the flight. Then he smiled evilly, as he picked up a familiar scent. The trail was fresh.

Woman, you will be punished for disrespecting this Sesshomaru. – he thought.

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Mai tripped and fell, when her legs refused to move properly. Slowly, she pulled herself back up and looked around. She was standing on the edge of a small clearing. Right in the middle there was a huge tree. The girl thought, that its shape was strangely familiar, as though she saw it before somewhere.

"Is this… Goshinboku?" Mai wondered if it was the same tree, the miko told her about. She approached it and saw the arrows stuck in the trunk. The bark in the one place was missing. There was no doubt, it had to be it! She made it! Behind the trees she saw a temple. Gathering her strength, Mai made her way towards the buildings.

"Hello, Mai." The deep voice sent chills down her spine, as her greatest fears came true. Slowly, she turned around, mortified. A few meters from her stood no one other than Sesshomaru, glaring at her with raw fury. Mai was paralyzed. She felt like a deer in the headlights. The demon sent her predatory look and flexed his clawed fingers. That was enough for the girl to figure out, what would happen next. Desperate, she whirled around and darted towards the shrine with all the speed, she could manage.

She made only a few steps, when she felt something grabbing her shoulder and slamming her into the nearest tree. Mai screamed, when the demon roughly pinned her to the tree, nearly crushing her small frame. He was gripping her shoulder, tightening the grip of his fingers. On her white kimono red stains began appearing, as the youkai punctured her delicate skin with his claws. He was so close to her, that Mai's any movement would be blocked. The girl couldn't breathe, as her ribcage was squished between the tree and Sesshomaru's armor.

The demon leaned to the terrified girl and inhaled her scent. The girl trembled, when she felt his lips brushing against her earlobe, his hot breath on her neck. The demon slowly slid his hand from her shoulder to the neck, tracing her artery with his clawed thumb.

"I told you not to escape from me." he whispered to Mai's ear, before pulling back to look at her. Mai's eyes met his cold gaze.

"Sesshomaru, I'm…" she stuttered, trying to defend herself, but stopped, when she saw the expression of rage showing on the demon's face.

"This Sesshomaru will not forgive you!" the youkai growled and clutched Mai's throat. The girl choked and desperately gripped his wrist, digging her nails in it in a failed attempt to make him release her. She struggled, as the demon's fingers were slowly tightening and crushing her windpipe. Mai's vision blurred, her movements became weaker.

Then the youkai released her, throwing the girl to the forest floor. The girl gasped, sharply inhaling the air. After the first shock, when the oxygen filled her lungs again, she pulled herself to the sitting position and looked at the demon. Sesshomaru towered over her and made no move, as though he was waiting for some kind of reaction from her.

"What do you want from me?!" Mai spoke, her voice shaking, as the tears began to well in her eyes. She didn't understand, why he didn't finish her just now. Did he change his mind about killing her?

The demon smirked at her.

"It would be not amusing, if I take your life swiftly and easily, would it?" he responded. Mai opened her eyes wider, realizing what did he just say. The demon wanted her to suffer before she dies – and he will enjoy that. The girl couldn't see another option than fight. She won't give up her life easily, even if it meant doing exactly what he wanted.

The girl quickly jumped back on her feet and ran. Sesshomaru only waited for that. The youkai leaped after her and knocked her down, sending her to the ground. The girl rolled several meters and crashed into a tree. She gritted her teeth and got up, ignoring the pain. She darted off.

The youkai rushed after her. Mai gasped, as he appeared in front of her and pinned her to a tree again. Sesshomaru brought his face so close to hers, that their noses were nearly touching.

"Ready to beg me for your life?" he asked, smiling cruelly. Mai sent him an angry glare and started to struggle. He pinned her right arm above her head, twisting it painfully. Mai hissed.

"Well?" asked the demon with a sickening grin plastered across his face. Knowing, that she will be dead soon anyway, Mai spitted in his face.

"Never!" she screamed at him. His grip tightened, as he returned glare.

Mai slowly reached with her free hand inside her kimono and grabbed the hilt of her knife. Carefully, she pulled it out of the sheath, not averting her eyes from Sesshomaru's golden ones.

He growled and was about to make a move, when the girl moved her arm with all the speed and accuracy she could manage and stabbed the demon in his chest, right above the armor, hoping, the blade would reach his heart.

The demon let go of her arm and jumped back, the shock on his face, as he stared at the knife sticking out of his body. He grabbed the hilt and pulled it out, letting the blade fall to the ground. Then, he looked at the girl, who was still standing in place, unable to move. When their eyes met, Mai could see his golden eyes reflect surprise, that gradually was changing into animalistic rage. The stripes on his cheeks jagged and Mai could feel his powerful youki swirling around his large frame. She made a desperate attempt to flee, but he was on her in a heartbeat, painfully pressing her back to the trunk.

He grabbed her throat and started squeezing it.

"Die!" he growled, about to snap her neck. Mai closed her eyes, praying for the death to come quickly.

Suddenly, the girl heard a strange sound. She opened her eyes and saw something flying swiftly towards them. Sesshomaru released her throat, when his armor got cracked and something pierced the tree, right next to Mai's cheek. Mai turned her head to see what it was.

An arrow.

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**Umm… Don't forget to share your opinion!**


	29. A narrow escape

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Hello, readers. I wanted to thank you very, very much (hugs you all) for reading my story and reviewing, what gave me power to write.**

**This is it. The final chapter. Enjoy it.**

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**Chapter 29**

**A narrow escape**

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"A purifying arrow" the demon said quietly, averting his attention from Mai. The girl stayed plastered to the tree, without a clue, what should she do now.

"SESSHOMARU!" she heard a yell and saw a young man leaping from between the trees.

The man was clad in bright red haori and hakama. His hair were white and the eyes golden – just as Sesshomaru's. The girl noticed, that instead of regular ears, the newcomer had dog ears atop his head! As he yelled, she saw sharp fangs. There was a resemblance between the man and Sesshomaru – as though the both were related. Mai felt a spark of hope lighten up in her heart, as he deduced, who the man was.

"Inuyasha!" she screamed. The young man made a surprised face, when she called his name. Sesshomaru gave her a sharp look over his shoulder. Scared Mai plastered herself flatly against the tree. The demon looked back at the hanyou and drew Tokijin.

"So you came, Inuyasha." The demon stated. The half demon frowned and ripped his sword from the sheath. Mai gasped as the rusty blade immediately transformed into a larger shape. It's Tessaiga - she thought, remembering the name of the sword, which cut Sesshomaru's arm off.

"Leave her alone, Sesshomaru!" shouted Inuyasha, assuming the battle stance and glaring angrily at the demon.

The youkai snorted.

"Always defending pathetic humans – as expected from a hanyou." The demon responded, saying the last word in a mocking tone. Inuyasha gritted his teeth. He grabbed Tessaiga tighter. Sesshomaru smirked and lifted Tokijin. The sword's evil youki began to swirl around the sword. The hanyou grinned, planning to use his instant kill attack, and lifted his blade.

"Inuyasha! Don't use Bakuryuuha!" shouted a woman's voice. "You'll kill the girl!"

Mai noticed, that the voice belonged to a woman, who flew by on a big cat. She had her hair gathered in a ponytail and wore a tight suit. In her hand she held a huge boomerang. Behind her were sitting two more people, but Mai couldn't make out their faces, as the cat vanished behind the trees.

"SOURYUUHA!" suddenly Sesshomaru yelled, sending a wave of energy towards Inuyasha. The red clad hanyou leapt into the air, avoiding the attack in the last moment.

"Hn." Sesshomaru looked at his brother scornfully. "You will not attack, because you fear for the human's life? How pathetic."

Inuyasha scowled, feeling helpless. He was unable to approach Sesshomaru and lure him away from Kagome's friend. If it continues, the bastard will beat a crap out of him. If only he could be distracted…

Mai watched the display of the emotions on Sesshomaru's brother's face. She realized, that he won't manage to attack or defend himself, if she could be hurt. It would be helpful to distract the demon, at least for the second.

She blinked her eyes and stared at Inuyasha, till she caught eye-contact. She tried to get him to understand, that she will distract the youkai. Unfortunately, the hanyou wasn't very sharp and looked baffled. Mai sighed inwardly.

"Sesshomaru, you sadistic asshole!" she screamed suddenly at the top of her lungs. As expected, the youkai whirled around swiftly to her, showing his back to Inuyasha. Mai yelped, when she saw Sesshomaru baring his fangs at her, but his brother came just in time. The hanyou closed the distance between himself and his opponent in one jump, swinging his sword at him. The demon whirled around, blocking the blow with Tokijin.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!" yelled Inuyasha. Mai gasped, realizing, that she was standing here like an idiot. Instantly, she darted from Sesshomaru. The demon parried Inuyasha's Tessaiga and wanted to chase after the girl, but the half-demon got in his way again. The angered youkai suddenly threw Tokijin in Mai's direction. The girl tripped, as the sword pinned the sleeve of her kimono to the tree. Inuyasha's eyes followed the movement of the blade, so he couldn't dodge Sesshomaru's poisoned claws in time. The demon blinded the hanyou with poisonous gas. Inuyasha staggered backwards, rubbing his eyes. Then Sesshomaru attacked. The half-demon instinctively dodged, but couldn't repeat it, as the older of brothers pierced his hand right through Inuyasha's ribcage.

Mai gasped in horror at the sight, sure, that the demon killed the man, who should have been her savior. The girl observed, as Sesshomaru ripped the hand from his brother's limp body and turned to Mai. She still struggled with her sleeve, pinned to the tree, and the demon was slowly stalking towards her. She felt panic welling in her. He was getting closer!

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Suddenly, she saw an arrow, engulfed in the bright light, flying towards Sesshomaru. The demon caught it easily between his fingers and snapped in half.

"Do not interfere, miko." the irritated youkai said. Mai took the chance, that someone distracted him and pulled the sleeve. The fabric ripped, freeing the girl.

"Step back, Sesshomaru!" called the woman's voice. Mai widened her eyes, recognizing this voice. It couldn't be! She looked for the source of the voice. Not so far from her stood a girl in her school's uniform, holding a bow, ready to shoot. When Mai looked at her face, she gave out a cry of surprise.

"Kagome?" she asked slowly, wondering how it is possible, that she was just seeing his friend here, in flesh. Or maybe it was an illusion... She kept staring at the girl.

"Mai, come here! I'm covering you!" She called.

"Eh?" Mai muttered, confused, but she nodded and took off towards the girl. In that moment Sesshomaru leapt forward and Kagome released the arrow. The demon jumped sideways to avoid the attack. He was about to continue the pursuit, when a blinding wave of yellow energy came at him from the side. Sesshomaru dodged the blow, but he had to jump further from his prey.

Mai turned her head. There stood Inuyasha, wielding Tessaiga. The hanyou was covered in blood and was panting heavily.

"How's that Sesshomaru?" he mocked the older brother. The demon snorted in response and glared at him. The demon shot a glance towards Tokijin, that was still stuck in the tree. Inuyasha noticed that and positioned himself so, that he was in the way between the inu youkai and both his weapon and the two girls.

"Hn." Sesshomaru responded. "Do you think you can stand a chance against me?"

The demon rushed to attack Inuyasha from the side.

"KAZE NO KIZU!" yelled the hanyou and sent his blow in the direction of Sesshomaru. It didn't hit him though. Inuyasha gasped in surprised, as he noticed, that the demon mislead him and leapt over him, reaching for Tokijin. Armed again, Sesshomaru attacked hanyou, who barely managed to whirl around in time to parry the blow. Inuyasha looked at Kagome over his shoulder.

"Kagome! Take her and go home!"

Kagome nodded.

"Okay!" she shouted back and grabbed Mai's wrist. The girl stared at her friend's face still not believing, that she was here.

"Mai, move!" Kagome shouted and pulled her hand. "We have to run!"

Then, the girls heard Inuyasha yelp in surprise, when Sesshomaru managed to disarm the hanyou and sent him flying into a tree. Mai didn't wait for anything else. She let herself be dragged behind Kagome, as the two girls darted through the forest.

The demon rushed after them, but was interrupted by a huge boomerang, that came from the sky. He stopped to parry it and the boomerang returned to its owner. The demon slayer Sango caught it. The monk, who was sitting on Kirara behind the woman, unfastened the prayer beads from his right arm.

"Go, Kagome-sama!" he cried. "We'll slow him down!"

Kagome nodded and took off, still holding Mai by her wrist. The girls were running between the trees at a full speed. The sounds of the battle could be heard, but neither Kagome nor Mai looked back. They found themselves on a clearing with a well in the middle of it.

"Don't stop!" Kagome shouted, noticing, that the girl slowed down. She dragged Mai towards the well.

"Kagome!" screamed Mai, when she saw Sesshomaru appearing on the opposite side of the clearing. She wanted to turn around and run in the other direction, but Kagome was determined not to let go and ran straight at him. There was a well between the girls and their pursuer.

"I know what I'm doing!" shouted Kagome and picked up the speed. Sesshomaru smirked, seeing the prey was running to him by itself.

Then, Kagome jumped right into the well, dragging Mai behind her. Before she was pulled into the well, she saw Sesshomaru darting towards her and as she was about to hit the bottom of the well, she was blinded by a flash of the yellow light.

"KAZE NO KIZU!"

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Mai prepared herself for the hard landing, but no such thing happened. Instead, an eerie light engulfed her and she was feeling, as though she was floating, with Kagome still gripping her wrist. Then the both girls gently landed on the bottom of the well. Mai lifted her head, looking for any sign of Sesshomaru, but saw, that something was not right. She couldn't see a sky above. Mai looked at her friend, who also had her head lifted. Kagome looked at her friend and smiled.

"It looks like we made it." She said.

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.**THE END**

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**I hope, that you're satisfied with the ending. I'd like to thank you once more for reading till the end of the story. **

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**Umm… you didn't believe it, did you? That was only a joke. It's not the ending, rather more like a beginning. Stay tuned for the next chapters (at least twice as much) and find out, what will happen to Mai and Sesshomaru.**

**And review!**


	30. Back to the modern times

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Hey! I've got a lot of your reviews yesterday (made my day) and was so happy… With such support, I wonder, how I would able to finish the story (seriously this time). Anyway, the next chapter:**

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**Chapter 30**

**Back to the modern times**

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Kagome climbed out of the well and helped Mai out.

"Kagome…" began Mai staring at her friend, baffled. She couldn't believe, that she actually managed to escape from the feudal era and Sesshomaru, but above all, what the hell was Kagome doing there? The girl narrowed her eyes and glared at the other schoolgirl. "Kagome, I think you have some explaining to do."

Kagome smiled sheepishly and motioned Mai to sit on the stairs.

"You see… that's quite a long story, it began about two years ago, when I fell into the well and met Inuyasha…"

"Inuyasha? Sesshomaru's brother?" asked Mai, quickly linking some facts in her mind – the picture of Kagome's boyfriend, who looked like the hanyou, Kagome landing in the feudal era two years ago… Wait, two years ago? Mai looked at her friend suspiciously. "Don't tell me, that you are going on the trips to the feudal era through that freaky well when you're absent from school!"

Kagome shifted uncomfortably under Mai's stare and nodded.

"Kind of… yes." She answered. "The first time was an accident, but then I had to keep coming to help gather the jewel shards."

"Jewel shards?" Mai kept questioning her friend.

"The shards of Shikon no Tama." Explained Kagome. "Shikon no Tama is…"

"I know what it is." Mai interrupted her. Kagome gave her a surprised look. The girl sighed and decided to enlighten her friend. "I found one shard, but Sesshomaru told me to throw it away. Anyway, you're collecting those shards and chasing Naraku, right?"

Kagome only nodded, startled, that her friend managed to gather that much information during two months. The raven-haired girl cleared her throat and was about to start questioning the other girl, but she met Mai's angry glare.

"So, you was going on the trips with your hanyou boyfriend and you didn't happen to find me earlier?" she snapped at Kagome. The girl in a school uniform tried to say something, but Mai wouldn't let her.

"Do you have an idea, what I went through?! I had to pose as some damn princess, then got kidnapped by a demon. A DEMON! And that demon just tried to kill me!" the girl yelled, as her eyes started to fill with tears.

"Mai…" began Kagome, reaching her hands to her friend. "We got you as soon as we could. I know, that you were scared, but it's over now."

Kagome hugged the girl, who started sobbing. Mai broke in tears and hugged Kagome back. She stayed like this for a while, letting the friend comfort her, till all accumulated anxiety and uncertainty subsided a bit. She pulled herself back and wiped the tear with the back of her hand.

"Thanks." She whispered. Kagome smiled at her.

"You're welcome."

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Both girls sat in silence for quite a long time. When Mai's face dried, she looked at her friend. Kagome was sitting still as a statue and staring at the well. She was biting her lip, as though something worried her. Mai cursed herself inwardly for her own stupidity. On the other side of the well Kagome's boyfriend and Sesshomaru were probably still fighting. When the girls left, Inuyasha was still alive, but seriously wounded – the demon pierced him with his clawed hand right through the chest. Normally, a person would be dead after something like that, but Sesshomaru was looking very much alive when Mai stabbed him with the knife. So maybe there was a chance for the hanyou as well.

She didn't know how much time passed till they heard a groan coming from the well. Both girls stood up abruptly. Mai looked at Kagome, unsure what to do – should they run or what? Her friend, however, ran towards the well.

"Inuyasha!" called Kagome, as she bent over the edge of the well. She reached her hand and pulled the red-clad hanyou out. Mai noticed, that the young man was in a terrible state – his clothing was literally soaked with blood, a large gushing wound was visible on his chest. Kagome motioned nearly unconscious Inuyasha to sit down. He looked at the raven-haired girl and smiled with relief.

"Kagome, you're safe." He whispered, closing his eyes, and his body went limp.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called the hanyou's name, shaking him slightly. Mai came closer, worried about her savior. Kagome pressed her fingers to the artery on Inuyasha's neck and sighed.

"Mai." She said, turning to her friend. "Give me the first-aid kit. It's in the corner."

Mai nodded quickly, surprised how calm her friend was in the situation like this. She ran to the corner of the well house and found the box. She grabbed it and went to pass it to Kagome.

Her friend already removed Inuyasha's haori. Mai gasped at the horrible sight – the chest was pierced right under the heart. He should be dead, having his lungs ripped to shreds, but the hanyou's chest was rising as he inhaled the air. Kagome expertly disinfected the large wound and started dressing it.

"Mai, hold it here." The black-haired girl said, taking Mai's hand and pressing it to the gauze, that covered the wound. She nodded and held it, as Kagome wrapped the bandage around Inuyasha's torso.

"Will he be okay?" Mai asked, feeling guilty that Kagome's boyfriend ended like that because of her. Her friend tied the ends of the bandage and smiled at her.

"In a day or two there won't be even a sign left. It isn't a first to him." She said.

"Oh." Mai muttered. "So your trips are actually quite dangerous." The girl stated, thankful, that she was relatively safe during her stay in the feudal era. Aside being kidnapped by Sesshomaru and nearly killed just a while ago, the demon always managed to save her in time. Mai thought, that it was quite ironic – the youkai was her protector and the greatest enemy in one. Well, now she left everything behind and was back home, so there wasn't any point in sparing him any more thought.

"Your turn." Kagome said, tugging Mai's sleeve.

"What?" asked confused Mai, but her friend only sighed and with one swift move ripped her sleeve off.

"I have to bandage you too, silly." Kagome answered pointing to Mai's arm, which was covered in blood seeping from the wound made by sharp claws. The girl hissed from pain, as her friend disinfected the wound.

"It's not that serious." Kagome muttered, placing a gauze over the wound.

"You act like a paramedic." Mai said and Kagome laughed, bandaging the arm.

"I do it quite often in the feudal era." She answered and tied the bandage, patting Mai's arm. "It's all done."

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Mai was about to ask Kagome more about adventures, but she heard voices outside the well house.

"Kagome! Kagome!" female voices were calling, oddly familiar ones. Kagome froze, mortified, and stared at the unconscious hanyou, then at disheveled Mai. The voices were nearing. Then Mai recognized them – they belonged to the gossiping trio – Eri, Yuka and Ayumi, her classmates.

"Why now?" Kagome whimpered, standing up. She narrowed her eyes at Mai. "Mai, stay here with Inuyasha."

"Wha… Why?" the girl protested, but Kagome was already at the door. Mai looked down and saw, that she still wore the kimono, once white, now covered in blood and mud, rather a rag now, than a piece of clothing – she couldn't show herself to other people in such state. She made an irritated sound and nodded, folding her eyes.

"Don't go out." Kagome told her and shut the door.

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Mai sighed and pulled her knees to the chest. Somehow she felt relieved – now everything will be back to normal. She will go to school every day, read books, sleep in a real bed under a roof, spend time with her friend… Thinking of which, Mai gritted her teeth as she realized, that Kagome was hiding the truth from her all along. Didn't she trust Mai enough to tell her the secret?

"Kagome!" Mai yelped, as she heard a male voice suddenly. She took a deep breath to calm herself and looked at Inuyasha. The hanyou opened his eyes slowly and glared at Mai. The girl noticed, that his eyes were the same color as Sesshomaru's. Inuyasha furrowed his brows.

"Where's Kagome?" he demanded harshly. Mai glared back at him, irritated by how rude he was, but bit her tongue. She decided, that she shouldn't insult her savior right away.

"She's gone to her friends." Mai replied. The hanyou gritted his teeth and hissed from pain, as he tried to sit up.

"You should keep laying! You're seriously injured!" The girl scolded him and pushed him back to the ground. Inuyasha snarled at her, what made Mai sit back.

"I know!" said the half-demon angrily. Mai sighed.

"I was only trying to help you." The girl said, equally annoyed. "By the way, thank you for the rescue. If you didn't come in time, I would be dead."

The hanyou looked at her for a while and turned his head.

"Feh!"

Mai narrowed her eyes and folded the arms. What with that attitude? She expected Inuyasha to be more… hero-like, instead of being a rude… half-demon.

"Listen, I thanked you. Be more polite!" she raised her voice, as she couldn't control her anger anymore. Hearing her, Inuyasha sat up abruptly, cursing, as he pressed his hand against his wound, and narrowed his eyes.

"Look, who's talking!" he said loudly, pointing at her with his clawed finger. "You should thank me on your knees for risking my life for you!" Mai gritted her teeth. God, is there something wrong with all dog demons?

"Like the hell I would!" she shouted at the hanyou. Inuyasha wasn't the one to give up in this argument. He smiled triumphantly, showing his fangs.

"Maybe I shouldn't have saved you!" he said smugly, folding his arms. Mai clenched her fists.

"There was no need! I was doing just fine!" she answered.

"Feh! A human like you couldn't even scratch Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha kept mocking her. The girl started trembling with fury at the human-crap.

"Never underestimate a human! I stabbed him with a knife!" she shouted at the hanyou. Then, silence fell. Mai was breathing heavily, trying to calm down and Inuyasha was staring at her with wide-opened eyes.

"What?" the girl asked finally, to break the uncomfortable silence. The half-demon tilted his head and kept staring. Finally, he spoke.

"It was you?" he asked. Mai slowly nodded and Inuyasha burst in laughter. The hanyou kept laughing, clutching both his stomach and the dressed wound on the chest.

"Seriously?" he managed to utter between the laughter-attacks. "A human girl stabbed Sesshomaru? Serves the bastard well!"

Mai stared at the chuckling half-demon and arched her eyebrow. The two of them must really have tough family issues, but she couldn't help but notice the similarities – above all the insufferably annoying attitude.

"Ugh." She muttered, rolling her eyes. "You and your brother really are the same."

Inuyasha abruptly stopped laughing and glared at her. His glare was, however not icy-cold like Sesshomaru's, but rather reminded Mai of an inferno. The hanyou started to emit a low growl, something really familiar to the girl.

"Don't you dare to compare me to that bastard Sesshomaru!" he yelled suddenly, getting up. "We're not!"

"You are!" Mai yelled back, feeling a little bit childish, arguing with him like that. She got on her feet as well.

"We're not!" Inuyasha repeated, baring his fangs. Mai was too stubborn to give up. She folded her arms and smiled at the hanyou smugly.

"Of course you are. The two of you have the same temper. You must have gotten it from your father."

Surprisingly, Inuyasha's angry expression softened and he fell silent, turning away. Mai felt a stab of guilt, as she felt, that she said something she shouldn't. She was about to apologize, but both of them jumped, as the door flew open loudly.

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In the door stood Kagome and was eying Mai and Inuyasha angrily.

"Both of you!" she said in a dangerously raised voice. "You just couldn't be louder, could you?! After me!"

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**Comment, please! **


	31. The family dinner

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Hey, everyone. Again, thank you for the positive response from both my regular reviewers (I luv you guys) and the new ones (welcome on board). Sure, there will be romancing later one, but the pair is just so stubborn… Anyway, enjoy the next chapter.**

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**Chapter 31**

**The family dinner**

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In the door stood Kagome and was eying Mai and Inuyasha angrily.

"Both of you!" she said in a dangerously raised voice. "You just couldn't be louder, could you?! After me!"

Mai and the hanyou yelped, suddenly scared by Kagome's face and the aura of wrath. Both of them obediently trotted after the black-haired girl to the house, Mai supporting the wounded Inuyasha.

"Mai!" called a woman's voice. Mai lifted her head and saw Kagome's mother rushing to her. The woman hugged her. "Oh, Mai we're so glad, that you are finally back! I'll make a dinner right away!"

The girl managed with Kagome's help to drag the protesting half-demon to the living room, where grandpa Higurashi and Souta were sitting. Mai quickly said hello to them, before she was ushered by Kagome upstairs. The friend led her to her pink room.

"We must find something for you to wear." Kagome decided with a bright smile and opened her wardrobe. A while later the black-haired girl was making a huge fuss about choosing clothes for Mai. Eventually, she handed over a pile of various outfits. Mai arched an eyebrow, when she started examining them – all clothes were in very feminine style, also quite different from her own. She chose reluctantly a pink top, a blue skirt, much too short for her taste and some underwear. Then, Kagome led her to the bathroom and told to take time.

Mai closed the door and put her new clothes on the washing machine. She walked over to a large mirror and took a good look. The sight of herself was quite terrifying. Mai could easily pass for a ghost now. Her hair was messy and dirty, the kimono's state didn't need to be commented. She touched the bruised on her neck and winced. Mai took it off and filled the bathtub with hot water. She let herself relax at last – it was the first time from a really long time since she was bathing in hot water.

Mai's thoughts were drifting. She was thinking of everything and nothing in particular. She was glad to be here again, but will also miss Rin, Jaken and Ah-Un a little. She will definitely NOT miss Sesshomaru.

"Sadistic bastard." She muttered, scrubbing her skin, careful not to wet the bandage. The thought about the dog demon infuriated her. There were times, when he was almost bearable and, true, protected her a couple of times, but he was just plainly evil nonetheless. Mai dived under the surface of the water and held the breath, trying to think of something pleasant instead. She emerged, inhaling air and got out of the tub. Once dried, she put on Kagome's clothes and examined her reflection. She winced, when she saw, that the top and the skirt were a little bit too small for her – her friend had a better figure. Sighing, she went downstairs to join the Higurashi family. Mai stopped by the doorframe to observe, what was happening at the table.

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The whole Higurashi family, along with the hanyou gathered around the table. All of them, except one, were waiting patiently for Mai to join them.

"Inuyasha, you should rest." Kagome hissed to the half-demon, who already devoured his steak and was eying at Kagome's. Mai wondered, how could he be able to eat at all, considering, that he had a huge hole in his stomach. Inuyasha didn't let such trivial matters bother him. He mumbled something inaudible to Kagome and grabbed the free plate. Mai narrowed her eyes and realized, that it was her portion.

"Hey!" she shouted, pointing her finger at Inuyasha. The hanyou's hand stopped in the midway to his mouth, as he stared at her. Mai gave him her most threatening glare. "Don't touch my food!"

Inuyasha also narrowed his eyes at her.

"Feh! Watch me!" he said smugly, grabbing Mai's portion of rice. The girl felt her face becoming red from anger. God, how Kagome could stand that guy. She stalked to him and punched him on the head with all her might. The effect was miserable – he didn't even flinch and Mai knuckles started hurting, but at least he was distracted. She used this and snatched her food from his hands and sat down, guarding her plates with her hand. The Higurashi family was staring at the two of them with an interest, waiting for something more to happen – and they weren't wrong.

"Feh!" Inuyasha sat back, folding his arms and looking away. Mai thought, that it was his way of pouting. The half-demon glared at her and smiled wickedly. "No wonder Sesshomaru wanted to strangle you."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded him. "Apologize to Mai, now." The black-haired girl insisted, but the hanyou kept pouting. Kagome gave him a warning look. "Inuyasha…"

"No way." Answered Inuyasha and glared at Mai, who glared back. However, Kagome decided to interrupt their little staring contest.

"Osuwari." She said, casually reaching for the soy sauce. To Mai's surprise, Inuyasha fell instantly face-flat to the floor with a loud thud. After a while, he started to get up, cursing and shooting angry looks at Kagome.

"It was your fault." Said Kagome calmly. "Now apologize."

Inuyasha growled and turned slowly to Mai.

"Sorry." He mumbled finally. Mai nodded and smiled.

"You're welcome." She said, deciding to accept the apology. She cut her steak in half and placed one piece on Inuyasha's plate. "Here, eat it."

The half-demon stared at her, but Mai ignored him and turned to Kagome.

"Kagome, how did you do that?" she asked, fascinated by what she saw just a while ago.

Kagome explained everything about the beads of submission. After the incident, the atmosphere at the table was far more peaceful. Mai ate the delicious meal, chatting with her friend and her family, even exchanged few words with the hanyou, who seemed to like her a little bit more. As Mai thought, the trick with bribing with food did its part – it worked with Ah-Un too. Kagome and Inuyasha told her of their adventures in the feudal era and explained a few things about Naraku, who turned out to be the bigger scoundrel, than Mai thought. On her part, the girl described, how she spent the last two months first in the Asakura castle and then as Sesshomaru's servant and Rin's babysitter.

When Kagome's mother served the delicious dessert, they started talking about more up-to date matters. Her friend started whining about failing another math test, what made Mai think about the most pressing matters – return to school. That would be a nightmare! She didn't attend any classes or read notes and textbooks. She will be doomed and will surely share Kagome's fate! She'll have to study days and nights to make up for all the tests! Thinking of which, if she was the whole time in princess's skin, so she had to be here. Did she go to school? Did she write the tests? What possibly a princess from the feudal era could know about equations?!

"Mai!" Kagome called her, concern all over her face. "Everything all right?" she asked. Mai nodded slowly, her thoughts still oscillating around the school – she played in her head already the worst scenarios – being the worst in the class, even worse than Kagome, repeating a grade, being expelled from school.

"Kagome." She said abruptly. "What day is it tomorrow?"

"Monday. Why do you ask?" she replied. Mai's eyes widened. She had to study!

"Can you borrow me the notes, Kagome? If I have to go to school tomorrow, I have to prepare. How are my grades?"

Mai suddenly felt the stares of the whole Higurashi on her. The silence fell, interrupted only by the sounds of Inuyasha swallowing his food. Kagome shifted uncomfortably on her chair, clearly avoiding making eye-contact with Mai.

"About the school…" she began slowly, carefully choosing her words. "We'll talk about this later, okay?"

Kagome smiled at her awkwardly. Mai narrowed her eyes and glared at her friend. What did she mean by: later? She was gone for two months and simply couldn't afford to waste more time. She had a dream, for God's sake. The Tokyo University was waiting for her.

"Kagome, it's important for me. Now, where is the princess?" Mai demanded. She had to talk to that girl – she had to inquire, what happened here to avoid any awkward situations and had to inform the Amayami girl, that her fiancé was killed.

Mai noticed, that Kagome was about to panic. She wriggled her fingers and stared at the table. The grandpa, Mrs. Higurashi and Souta suddenly got interested in the structure of the ceiling. Inuyasha stopped devouring rice and stared at Mai.

"Eh? Kagome didn't tell you?" he asked. Kagome grabbed his ear and gave it a tug.

"Inuyasha!" she hissed warningly. Mai looked at her friend, unsure what was exactly going on.

"Kagome, what didn't you tell me?" she asked with suspicion.

"Err…" Kagome mumbled, avoiding answering her, but Inuyasha offered his assistance.

"You're dead." He said bluntly.

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**Review quickly, don't be shy! If you give me a lot of feedback I might be able to update once more today…**


	32. The most troublesome heirloom

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Uff… I had a writer block today. Chapter number XX proved to be quite a challenge… Here's the second chapter this day. Please don't be shy and comment, if you like the story (I assume you do, since it's chapter no. 32). You know, that when I get a lot of your reviews, I simply can't resist you and update…**

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**Chapter 32**

**The most troublesome heirloom**

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"You're dead." Inuyasha said bluntly. Mai stared at him for a longer while.

"I'm alive." She answered, feeling awkward. She was sitting here, sound and safe, and very much alive, right? So what was he talking about? Kagome tried to silence the hanyou, but she shrugged her efforts off.

"I mean the you here." He explained. Mai tilted her head, confused. She here? Then the wheels of her mind turned and she paled as she realized, what he could mean.

"Kagome, where's the princess?" she asked her friend. Kagome looked at Mai and bit her lower lip, hesitating to answer.

"You see, Mai, she's dead." She uttered finally.

"Dead?" Mai repeated. The information didn't soak in. Kagome took a deep breath.

"She got hit by a truck. We all were on your funeral a month ago."

Mai sat still for a while, processing what Kagome just said. She managed to stay alive in a hostile world – the demons attacked her, she was even kidnapped by one – and that idiot princess managed to get herself hit by a truck? Seriously?

"Okay." Mai replied slowly. "So I can't go back to school now?"

Kagome shook her head and looked at Mai with pity.

"Sorry, but no. You're officially dead – they did the DNA-test, you got death certificate, funeral and all, so if you walk into the school, you'll be like a zombie."

Mai stared at Kagome, trying to comprehend, what it meant. Dead. She suffered so much to go back here only to discover, that she is officially dead in this world. And to think, that she was worrying about grades right now.

"What am I going to do now?" Mai sighed heavily, resting her head on her hands. She felt a terrible headache approaching. Mrs. Higurashi gently patted her shoulder and offered an encouraging smile.

"Mai, you are welcome to stay with us. We'll be happy to have you around." She said. Souta and grandpa Higurashi nodded vigorously.

"Going back to the feudal era is a no." Kagome decided.

"Sesshomaru would kill her." Inuyasha agreed. Mai thought, that returning to the feudal era wouldn't be so bad, given the circumstances, but the hanyou was right. If she went back there, she would be literally dead – and she didn't like the idea.

"So, I am to sit here and hide like the Jews from Nazis during World War II?" Mai asked. Kagome nodded.

"Pretty much." The black-haired girl told her. Mai moaned with despair. She was totally miserable now. Goodbye Tokyo University, goodbye normal life. Being officially dead she won't be able to do anything here – go to school, work, marry, nothing. Apparently she wasn't the one who realized it – the Higurashi family was looking at her with pity, what made Mai only feel worse. Fortunately, Kagome's mother broke the awkward silence.

"Mai, I've prepared a room for you. It's small, but I hope you'll like it. Kagome, why don't you show it to Mai?" she said with a smile. Kagome nodded quickly and grabbed Mai's hand, ushering her upstairs. Inuyasha was about to follow them, but Kagome sent him a scary look and hanyou gave up, scared of another "osuwari".

Kagome led Mai upstairs and showed her a little room. It was a storage room previously, but Mrs. Higurashi decorated it in very girlish style. Everything was cute, much like in Kagome's room. Mai noticed, that there was a lot of books on the shelves.

"Grandpa and I thought, that you'll like them." Said Kagome sitting on the bed, as Mai was going through the tomes. "And about the situation, I know it sucks, but we'll think of something."

Mai looked at her.

"Like what?" she asked.

"I think, that it would be best for you to go back to the feudal era." Kagome stated, looking for any signs of protest. Mai rolled her eyes.

"Sesshomaru is there. And he was quite angry at me when I left." She reminded the friend.

"I know." Kagome replied. "You have to stay here till we figure out how to prevent him from tracking you down. Meanwhile, you just have to tell me everything!"

Kagome coaxed into telling her the whole story with every little details. Mai sat down and both girl started giggling, as they exchanged their stories. Suddenly, everything seemed normal, as if nothing had happened.

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**Two months later**

Mai slowly got used to the new lifestyle. She was basically a prisoner in the Higurashi Shrine – she went out rarely, always like undercover, avoiding people's looks, as she was hiding from her classmates, the teachers and everyone, she knew. However, there were also good points – she could go to the cinema, was bathing in the tub filled with hot water every day and sleep in a comfortable bed. She had an opportunity to read so many books, that she didn't remember reading so much ever in her entire life.

Mai regretted seeing Kagome so rarely. Her friend was always in a hurry, running between school and the well. When they had a chance to talk, Kagome kept her informed about Naraku and basically everything, what happened, when she was away. Inuyasha also came by from time to time. Mai managed to keep friendly relations with the hanyou. They still kept arguing a lot, but not in a hostile way. She guessed, that it couldn't be helped, considering, that both she and Inuyasha had a fiery temper. Between Kagome's visits Mai couldn't help, but feel lonely. She didn't even realize how quickly two months passed since she came back from the feudal era.

The girl sighed and closed, the book she was reading. She rolled of the bed and went downstairs looking for someone from Kagome's family. Her friend was today on this side of well and was still in school. Mai looked around, but no one could be seen in the house. She decided to check the shrine. The girl went out and heard voices in the storage house. She peeked inside.

"Hey, what's going on?" she asked, as she saw Kagome's mother, Souta and grandpa Higurashi.

"We are airing the sword." Answered Kagome's mother with a smile. Mai looked inside and, indeed, saw the very same sword, she and grandpa were arguing a few months ago.

"Oh, Souunga?" she said, coming closer. Grandpa Higurashi narrowed his eyes at her.

"It is called Murakumo no Tsurugi!" the old man insisted.

"No, I say it's Souunga." Mai didn't give up.

"Murakumo no Tsurugi!"

"Souunga!"

The Souta shouted.

"The sword bit me!" the boy stepped away from the sword. Mai folded her arms and eyed the boy with suspicion. Mrs. Higurashi didn't believe the boy either.

And then the sword spoke. Mai jumped back from surprise. Damn, why the old man kept those kind of things at all? The mysterious voice said, that it was sealing the blade and announced, that a seven hundred years old seal is finally about to break. It spoke something about youkai and trouble, before the sword levitated from its original place and simply flew away.

"It's gone." Souta commented.

"Our family heirloom!" grandpa Higurashi started wailing. Kagome's mother only smiled.

"This is going to be a trouble." Said Mai, wondering where did the sword go. The girl glared at the old man, who kept wailing. "By the way, grandpa, where do you get all those dangerous things from?"

Souta tugged her shirt.

"Did you hear about the Noh-mask?" he asked. Mai shook her head. Kagome's little brother ushered the girl back into the house, telling her about yet another grandpa's artifact, that caused havoc – although Mai wasn't really surprised. The old man and Mrs. Higurashi followed them. They started chatting in living room, when Souta suddenly remembered, that he left his schoolbag outside.

"I'm going with you. I must stretch my legs." Mai offered and went after the boy. They crossed the yard, when the girl noticed a familiar figure. The red-clad hanyou was rushing towards the well house, so right in their direction. Mai smiled and lifted her hand to wave to him, but the smile fell from her face. Something was not right. As Inuyasha approached them, she saw the sword from the shrine! The half-demon held it… no, it seemed rather that it was attached to his arm by some vines. Mai instinctively grabbed Souta's shoulder and shoved the boy behind herself. She moved from the hanyou's way and ushered Souta to do the same.

"Inuyasha?" she called unsurely. The half demon stopped and turned to them. Mai gasped and made a step back, when she saw his face. The fangs were twice as long as usual, his eyes were blazing red and on his cheeks appeared jagged purple demon markings. Inuyasha emitted the furious growl. The hand with the sword moved on its own, but he held it in place.

"Run." He hissed through the clenched teeth. He didn't have to say it twice. Mai grabbed Souta's hand and darted to the house. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw Inuyasha running to the well house. She stormed into the house and locked the door.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Souta, panting. Mai shook her head.

"No idea." She responded. In fact, she suspected that it was the influence of the sword. Maybe he got possessed or something like that. She looked out from the window and saw Kagome running to the well house. Not good! If she runs into Inuyasha now, she may get hurt.

"Stay here." Mai told Souta and ran after Kagome. She managed to catch up with her friend by the well house. Kagome was about to jump in, when Mai grabbed firmly back of her blouse. Startled Kagome turned her head.

"Mai, let me go. I have to go after him!" she insisted, but Mai was still gripping her.

"You're not going anywhere. He can kill you now!" Mai tried to talk some sense into her friend, as she pulled her away from the well, just to make sure Kagome won't do anything stupid. "Cool your head and go after him later."

The black-haired girl sighed heavily and stepped toward the entrance to the building. Mai let go of her blouse.

"I guess you're right. I'll go tomorrow." She said finally and, sending the last worried look at the well, went with Mai to the house.

Later Mai managed to get Kagome spill the beans about what happened and so the girl learned about the destructive power of Souunga. The next day, everyone stood up before dawn and went to the well house to say goodbye to Kagome.

"Be careful." Mai said, as Kagome's mother helped her daughter with the yellow backpack. Kagome nodded and jumped into the feudal era. Mai looked at the empty bottom of the well for a while and followed the Higurashi family to the house.

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**Please, send me a lot of reviews! **


	33. An unexpected trip

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Hey, I'm sorry, that those chapters are kind of boring, but they are necessary for the plot. You just have to hold on a little longer… But there will be a reward. **

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**Chapter 33**

**An unexpected trip**

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Since Kagome left for the feudal era, Mai and the members of Higurashi family were taking turns in sitting by the well, waiting for the girl's return. Kagome was always in danger during her trips to the other side, but this time it was different – the sword could destroy the world. Even Kagome's mother looked worried.

Mai flipped the page, waiting for Souta to take his turn. Somehow she couldn't concentrate on reading. Her thoughts were circling around the issue of Kagome's safety and Inuyasha's too – although she doubted, that anything could kill the stubborn guy. Then Mai remembered, that in that world was another person, she cared about – a girl called Rin. She really missed the kid – during the time in feudal era Mai got attached to the cheerful child and now she was in danger as well. Mai furrowed her eyebrows and clenched her fists. Better that bastard Sesshomaru be watching Rin properly. Mai won't forgive him, if anything bad happens to the kid. Or even Jaken. Or Ah-Un. Actually any reason would be good enough to hate that arrogant jerk. The girl was so busy thinking about certain dog demon, that she didn't notice neither that she was making funny sounds nor Souta standing in the doorway.

"Mai?" the boy looked at her awkwardly. Mai turned her head abruptly and smiled at him sheepishly.

"Ah… Hello, Souta." She said. The boy sighed, closed the door to the well house and sat beside her. For a longer while both of them were sitting in silence, staring at the old well.

"Mai…" Souta finally broke the silence. "What were you thinking just now?"

"Nothing really. I was just worried about my friend, a little girl." She answered. Souta looked at her with doubt, like he didn't buy, what she just said.

"Did you think about a boy?" he asked straightforwardly.

"Don't be stupid. Of course not." She answered quickly, maybe too quickly, because Souta didn't seem to drop the subject and decided to inquire further.

"Sis has the same face, when she is thinking about Inuyasha. Do you like the boy, you were thinking about?"

Mai looked at the him abruptly. The boy had an innocent face. The girl cursed, as she felt that she was blushing – against her will, of course. Who in their right mind would blush at the mention of Sesshomaru?!

"The man tried to kill me. Of course I don't like him." Mai exclaimed angrily. Souta's face expression changed to surprised, but then smiled at the girl and patted her shoulder.

"Inuyasha tried to kill sis when they first met too." The boy said in a comforting tone. Mai stared at him. Inuyasha tried to kill Kagome? So it is some kind of family trait or what? Deciding, that some things are too messed up to consider, she gave up. The girl was about to think of some witty reply, but Souta was faster.

"So you were thinking about a man." He said smugly. Mai sent him a furious glare and punched him with her fist, something she learned from Inuyasha. Souta yelped.

"Serves you right. And originally I was thinking about Rin." Mai stated. The boy sighed, gripping his sore head.

"So you worry for her?" he asked. The girl nodded.

"Just as much as you worry for Kagome." Mai said quietly. She looked at the well sadly. "I wish I could go through that damned well and see Rin. Just once."

Souta looked at her and both of them went silent again. Mai didn't know how long they were just sitting there, next to each other, keeping company. The girl closed her eyes and leaned herself against a handrail, emptying her mind of any thoughts. She felt a delicate cool breeze on her face.

"Souta, close the door. There is a draft." She complained.

"I did." The boy said.

"Obviously not". Mai told him. She heard Souta standing up, probably to close the damned door, so she didn't really pay attention.

"Mai!" the boy called, but the girl decided to ignore him, as she was finally about to take a nap. "Mai, you should see this!"

Irritated, Mai opened her eyes. She saw a very agitated Souta standing by the well and gawking inside. The girl yawned, stood up and went to see, what was so important to the kid, that he had to call her.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice showing the irritation. "Better it be something impo…"

Mai stopped in midsentence, as she saw, what Souta was gawking at. She was looking into the well, but saw not its dusty bottom, but the sky.

"Oh shit!" that was the only comment Mai could manage. Souta looked at her, the excitement all over the face.

"Mai, only sis and Inuyasha could travel through the well. Do you think…" he said. The girl kept staring at the sky on the other side of well. That was the sky, Rin slept under. Well, the trip will be only a short one, right? And Kagome will get them back in a day or two, so there was no real danger. Surely, it won't hurt if it's only a short one, will it? And she was bored out of her mind…

"Do you think, what I think?" She asked Souta. The boy vigorously nodded. Mai took a deep breath. "All right. On the count of three."

"One."

"Two."

"Three!"

When Mai said the last word, she and Souta jumped into the well. As she hoped, she didn't land on the hard bottom, but kept floating, when the purple light engulfed her. She closed her eyes, scared by the eerie feeling, until she felt the solid ground.

"Souta!" she called, opening her eyes and looking around. She was sitting on the bottom of the well, but Kagome's little brother was nowhere to be seen. The girl looked up and saw the blue sky. Okay, so she was on the other side. But what about Souta? He didn't manage to get through?

Regretting, that the boy wasn't with her to keep company, Mai decided to look around. She grabbed the vines and started climbing up. Panting, she crawled eventually out of the well and scanned the surroundings for any sign of danger, but fortunately there was none. Frankly, it was beautiful here. Earlier she didn't have time to take a good look – with Sesshomaru trying to murder her and Inuyasha battling him, she didn't have an opportunity to do any sightseeing. Everything around was brilliantly green, just as she remembered. The birds were singing – in one word – a paradise. Glad to have some distraction from her dull existence, or non-existence, to be precise, Mai energetically marched forward towards the nearby buildings.

When she was passing by the rice paddies, the girl muttered a curse under her nose and glared at the villagers, who were rudely staring at her. Mai regretted putting on this idiotic and insanely short pink frilly dress, that Kagome gave her. Ignoring the stares, she stalked to the center of the village. She did her best not to be bothered by suspicious looks and the whispers of the villagers. She hoped to see a familiar face – Kagome, Inuyasha, perverted monk Miroku, anyone. Anyone but Sesshomaru, that is. She was sure, that she would enjoy a tea party with Naraku more than seeing the dog demon again.

"Are you Mai?" she heard a voice behind her. The girl whirled around to see, who just spoke to her. An elderly woman, slightly overweight, with an eye patch was scanning her up and down. She was dressed in characteristic miko attire. Weren't mikos supposed to be young and innocent? Well, obviously there must be a shortage of priestesses in the vicinity.

Another thing caught Mai's attention. The old woman knew her name. Damn, in her time her own classmates couldn't remember, that she was in the same class as them, not to mention what was her name. Here a bunch of strangers knew who she was, before she met them even once. Somehow, being popular here didn't bring her much luck so far. The girl eyed the old miko suspiciously.

"Umm… yes. And you are?" Mai said slowly.

"So you are that Kagome's friend." The woman said. "Come with me. I'm Kaede and I'm a miko in this village."

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After Souunga, the sword of calamity was obliterated, both Inuyasha's and Sesshomaru's group were preparing to go their separate ways.

"Feh!" snorted Inuyasha, folding his arms. "He must be all smug".

"How trivial." Said Sesshomaru and started walking away, eager to free himself from his idiotic half-brother. Ah-Un and Jaken trotted after him immediately, but Rin hesitated. She fished a folded piece of paper from her kimono and, with a look of determination, she trailed after Kagome.

"Kagome-sama!" she called and ran after the miko. Sesshomaru stopped, waiting for his ward, watching the child with a corner of his eye. The girl approached Inuyasha's woman and held out the piece of paper.

"What is it, Rin-chan?" asked Kagome with a smile and knelt down to be face to face with the little girl. The miko took the paper from Rin and unfolded it. The child looked at her with seriousness.

"Kagome-sama, could you… could you give it to Mai?" Rin whispered, probably to avoid Sesshomaru hearing her. However, the demon, with his sharp sense of hearing, was able to make out each word and gritted his teeth at the mention of this name.

"Rin." He said harshly, gaining the child's attention.

"I'm coming Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin exclaimed and ran after him. The miko looked for a while at the piece of paper and folded it.

Sesshomaru waited, till the child joined their group and then set off, furious that his ward mentioned the cursed woman again. For the last two months both Rin and Jaken kept complaining about her absence, not letting him forget how she betrayed him. Not only she dared to escape from this Sesshomaru, but also stabbed him with a knife. Not that it was a serious injury for a demon like him, but she intended to kill him – what only proved, what Sesshomaru knew all along – that humans were pathetic treacherous creatures. He should be relieved, that he was free of the presence of the wretched woman, but, oddly, he was not. Earlier, the constant commotion, when she entertained Rin or socialized with Jaken, irritated him, but the silence after she left bothered him even more. Sesshomaru wished, she was here again. It would be a pure pleasure to watch that sweet lips of hers tremble, when he would show her where her place was – as his property. If he met her, he would make her pay for her betrayal. And he would enjoy it.

Sesshomaru smirked evilly at the thought of punishing the woman. Jaken looked at his master and winced, scared by the sudden smile. The imp wondered, what dreadful things Sesshomaru had in mind.

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**Comment, please.**


	34. Be careful, what you wish for

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Hey, I've got a good day today (free time and my man is away!), so I'm happily typing and decided to make your day a little better too, so I'm posting another chapter – honestly, I've got too many in stock. Please send me your reviews (you know, that I'm greedy for them) and I'll post something more later today.**

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**Chapter 34**

**Be careful, what you wish for**

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The old miko, Kaede, served the tea. Both her and Mai sat in front of the cabin and were waiting for Inuyasha's return. The priestess explained, that Kagome told her quite a lot about Mai and her adventures in the feudal era. Kaede turned out to be a wise woman, tough, but also full of warmth, just as any grandmother should be. The girl told her how she managed to get here and the miko only nodded her head, believing the every word, she said.

They were talking for a couple of hours now and Mai shifted on the bench, feeling that her buttocks went stiff from being glued to the wooden surface for so long. She stood up to stretch her legs, when she saw a red shape darting towards her. Inuyasha leapt forward and landed right in front of the startled girl.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" he yelled at her. Mai gritted her teeth at the rude welcome, as expected from Kagome's boyfriend.

"Nice to see you too, Inuyasha." The girl said, glaring at the hanyou, who glared back at her.

"Feh!" the half-demon snorted. "Not that I care, if you got killed by a demon or something, but Kagome would skin me alive." He hissed angrily.

"I imagine." Agreed Mai. "Luckily, I am sound and safe. What did you do about Souunga?"

Inuyasha was about to answer, but Kagome's voice interrupted them.

"Inuyasha! What's wrong?" Kagome called. Mai saw over the hanyou's shoulder Kirara flying their way, with her friend, Miroku, Sango and Shippo on her back. They landed a few meters from her. Inuyasha stepped aside so that Mai was now in plain sight.

"Mai?!" Kagome asked, her eyes wide from surprise. "What are you doing here?"

The girl smiled sheepishly.

"It was quite by accident… but I came here through the well." She answered.

Kagome furrowed her brows, stalked to the girl and grabbed her wrist. She tugged it firmly, dragging her friend back towards the Bone Eater's Well.

"We're getting you back. It's dangerous here." Kagome said. Mai found herself nearly running after the other girl, as they made their way to the clearing, accompanied by the whole group.

"Mai-sama, it is nice to see you again." The monk called to her with a charming smile on his face. Remembering his lecherous nature, Mai checked first, if there was enough space between them and returned the smile.

"Nice to see you too, Miroku! And you too Shippo." She said to the little fox demon, who waved in response. The girl turned to the demon slayer. She didn't really had a chance to talk to her, so maybe it was a good time for an introduction, considering, that Kagome was about to shove her down the well very soon.

"Your name is Sango, right? I'm Mai!" she said quickly. The woman with a huge boomerang smiled back.

"I'm called Sango and this is Kirara." Replied the woman, pointing to the little kitten, which was resting in her arms. Mai was about to say something more, but bumped into Kagome, who stopped abruptly. The girl looked around and realized, that they were already there and her friend was climbing on the edge of the well, motioning Mai to do the same.

"Kagome, wait a minute!" Mai protested. Inuyasha yawned and folded his arms.

"Hurry up and go back." He urged her. The girl managed only to wave everyone and utter a short goodbye, before Kagome pulled her into the well.

Mai was falling and expected to engulfed in the light, along with the strange sensation of floating. What was her surprise, when her body literally slammed into the hard bottom of the well.

"Ouch!" she whined, as she began rubbing her buttocks. Mai looked around, but Kagome was nowhere to be seen. Did she go through? The girl carefully stretched her limbs, checking if they are not broken.

She looked up and saw the whole Inuyasha's group and Kaede staring at her.

"Hey! What are you still doing here?!" Inuyasha yelled. Mai clenched her fist.

"You idiot!" she yelled back. "Do you think that…"

Mai paused in midsentence, as Kagome materialized right in front of her. The girl yelped in surprise.

"Mai, you should have held my hand!" Kagome scolded her. Mai narrowed her eyes, angry, that everyone kept blaming her for everything.

"I did. You must have done something wrong!" she answered. Kagome sighed and stood up, pulling Mai on her feet as well. She grabbed the vines and motioned the girl to do the same.

"Again." She commanded and the girls climbed back up and jumped once more.

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"I can't do it anymore!" whined Mai, defending herself from Kagome, who tried to push her into the cursed well again. The girl was so bruised from slamming into the ground, that it was difficult to find a place on her body, which wasn't sore. It was pure luck, that her bones were still intact. The both girls tried to get Mai through the well many times already, without any success so far. Inuyasha helped a couple of times, but effect was the same. Every time, Kagome vanished and Mai made contact with the hard bottom of the well. She refused to try once more, she just couldn't.

"Come on, it'll be the last time." Kagome encouraged her. Mai shook her head and clawed at the wooden edge of the well.

"No way!" she shouted at Kagome.

"Come on!" her friend tugged her. Fortunately, the old miko stepped forward, putting her hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"Kagome, I think it's enough." Kaede said. The black-haired girl let go of her friend and Mai let out a breath, relieved. The girl sat down and leaned her back against the well. Somehow, Kagome looked much more nervous than her, even though Mai was the one, who couldn't get through the well.

Kaede furrowed her brows, thinking about something intensely.

"It is strange, that Mai came through the well in the first place. It couldn't have happened without a reason." The old miko said after a longer pause. "The Bone Eater's Well is made of the tree of ages, that links both present time and the future. How did you pass trough without Shikon no Tama?"

Kaede asked, turning to Mai. All pairs of eyes also looked at her.

"Err…" began the girl, feeling silly. "There was nothing special. I was sitting by the well, chatting with Souta, Kagome's brother, and suddenly we saw the sky, where the bottom of the well was. We decided to jump in, but I landed here alone." Mai finished explaining and an uncomfortable silence fell.

"Kagome's brother didn't come through?" Kaede made sure and Mai nodded. Everyone was tense, looking at the old miko and expecting her to think of something. The woman coughed and cleared her throat. "What did you do, that Kagome's brother didn't?" she asked.

Mai sighed, starting to feel irritated by the interrogation, that didn't seem to lead anywhere.

"Nothing, we did everything the same." She answered. Kaede scratched her chin.

"Hmm…" the old woman began. "Maybe it was something you said or thought. Wishes can be especially dangerous. Did you wish for something?"

"Wish?" Mai repeated, thinking intensely about the talk she had with Souta in the morning. Brainstorming could be easier, if everyone wasn't staring at her. She tried to remember every detail.

First, she was thinking about Rin, then Souta was teasing her about the arrogant murderous jerk called Sesshomaru, then she thought about Rin again and… shit.

"I think… I might have made a wish about going through the well to see Rin…" she said hesitantly. After she said it, everyone was staring at her in silence. Inuyasha made a face palm. Finally, Kaede decided to break the silence.

"A wish like that could made the well let you through, but it's not likely." The old miko said. Mai felt a little relieved – at least it was not entirely her fault. Jumping into the well without thinking was stupid enough. Kaede cleared her throat, ready to continue. "But if someone on this side of well wished for you to come through as well, in the exact time you made a wish, it could be possible."

Mai felt her face drop. At the exact time? What were the odds that the thing like with the cursed mirror would work twice? Was she the unluckiest person on this planet? The girl was about to say something, but Kagome was faster.  
"Maybe Rin-chan wished for Mai to come back to see her again?" the black-haired girl suggested. Inuyasha lifted his eyebrow.

"Feh! Or it was Sesshomaru, waiting to murder her." He said, earning an evil glare from Kagome. Mai cursed, when she remembered something more.

"Umm… grandma Kaede, is it very bad, if I said something like I want to pass through the well even once?" she asked hesitantly. The old miko closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Considering, that the well didn't let you through so far, I believe you will never return to your time." Kaede answered with a dead-serious expression on her face.

"WHAT?!" Mai and Kagome exclaimed at the same time. Mai felt an unpleasant feeling welling in her stomach. Did that mean, she will stay here forever? Without TV, real bathroom and tampons? Why the hell those things keep happening to her? If only she listened to Kagome and didn't look into that mirror… But it was too late for the regrets now. She had to face the truth – and she felt miserable.

Kagome moaned.

"What am I going to tell mom?!" she whined, panic in her eyes.

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**Comment quickly and I'll post the next chapter. There will be finally action (Yeah!).**


	35. The wind of change

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Wow, is it the third update today? Sorry for the mistakes, guys, but I still can't get a hang of English grammar… maybe it will get better with time – I'm not too old to learn (however, my father thinks otherwise and nags me to marry and make some babies, who will want to succeed his dojo). Anyway, have fun! The action returns.**

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**Chapter 35**

**The wind of change**

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The whole group sat by the well, fervently discussing Mai's future, not bothering to ask the girl, what she thought about it. Not that it would matter – according to her, she was screwed. After considering countless possibilities, a decision was made. Mai would stay for the time being with grandma Kaede, until she decides something else. The girl was fine with that, she hadn't a better idea anyway. If she stayed in the village, she would have an opportunity to see Kagome, Inuyasha and the rest of their group from time to time, so it wouldn't be that bad. On the other hand, living with an old woman in a one-room cabin wasn't really appealing. Maybe she could convince Kaede to make someone build her own hut for Mai.

Finally it was Sango, who decided to bring up the most unpleasant issue.

"What about Sesshomaru?" the demon-slayer asked. "Sooner or later he will be in the vicinity and will pick up Mai's scent."

Mai's attention suddenly turned back to the conversation. After all, the issue of Sesshomaru was a matter of life and death for her. To put it straight, Sesshomaru equals death – and a painful one, Mai was sure of that.

"Isn't there a way to hide her scent?" Miroku asked Sango, as the youkai-slayer seemed to be an expert, when it came to such things. The woman furrowed her brows. Mai prayed in her mind, that Sango would have an idea how to do that. She wanted to die in her bed of the old age, not murdered by a demon, before she even had a chance to go on a date.

"I think, there is one." Said Sango slowly. "There is a herb, that can mask a person's smell and the demon-slayers used to grow it a long ago. I'm almost sure, that a demon with an acute sense of smell like Sesshomaru won't be able to sense Mai, if she has it with her."

Kagome's face brightened and she clapped her hands happily.

"Great! Let's get it!" she exclaimed, smiling at Mai. The girl smiled at her friend back, relieved, that the solution of the problem was so easy. However, it was too soon to celebrate. Sango sighed heavily.

"It's not so simple." She said after a while, making Kagome's smile disappear. Miroku motioned Sango to continue and the demon-slayer nodded. "The herb is very rare and grows only in one place, swarming with youkai. It would be tough, but we could get it."

Kaede smiled.

"If you bring me a couple of those plants with roots, I could grow them in my garden." She said.

Inuyasha stood up and made an annoyed voice.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" he said, impatient as ever. "The sooner the better."

"I agree with Inuyasha." Miroku said. Sango nodded and Kirara transformed instantly from the sweet little kitten into the huge cat. Both the monk and the demon-slayer mounted Kirara and Inuyasha looked at Kagome.

"Come on, Kagome!" he called. The black-haired girl glanced at Mai and made her decision.

"Inuyasha," she said. "I'll stay with Mai. You will manage without me, right?"

"Feh!" Inuyasha snorted, folding his arms. "Not that you are any help anyway."

Kagome narrowed her eyes and Mai felt evil aura gathering around her friend.

"Osuwari!" Kagome shouted. "Inuyasha, you idiot!"

The hanyou landed face-flat on the ground with a loud thud. Mai giggled. She thought, that she wouldn't be ever fed up by the sight. Inuyasha got up and tried to argue with Kagome more, but she "sat" him again, ending the discussion. Finally the hanyou flew away on Kirara, along with Sango and Miroku, leaving Shippo behind – with a large bruise on his head.

"Damn you Inuyasha!" screamed Shippo after the hanyou, waving with his little fist. Mai couldn't help, but notice, that the little fox demon was behaving a bit like the half-demon. Well, it was to be expected, given how much time they spent together.

Kaede fixed her eye-patch and cleared the throat.

"I'll go to the village now and leave you two. Surely you want to talk about a few things." The miko said to Mai and Kagome. The girl was grateful for the old woman's insight. Shippo looked between Kaede and Kagome, unsure whether to leave or stay with the girls.

"Come on, Shippo. I'll make tea." The miko told the little fox. The kid nodded and rushed after Kaede. Kagome laughed and motioned Mai to get closer.

"I'm sure, that Shippo will find another first love in a heartbeat." She whispered into Mai's ear. The girl giggled and furrowed her brows with a fake concern.

"You know what, Shippo may become a womanizer with Inuyasha's temper in the future. Better pay attention, what influence the both bastards have on him!" she said to Kagome, not stopping laughing.

"Sure." Kagome answered. Both girls giggled for no reason for a while and then stayed silent, just sitting next to each other.

"Quite a mess, huh?" the black-haired girl asked quietly. Mai looked at her and then tilted her head upwards, observing the clouds floating through the sky.

"It was pretty screwed up before." She said with a bitter smile. "Even if I could go back, there isn't anything to go back to. I wanted to study on the Tokyo University, lead a normal happy life, but I can't anyway, so is there any point in returning? Would it matter?"

Kagome looked at her with concern.

"It would." She ensured. "My mom, grandpa and Souta will missing you. It would matter for them."

Mai nodded. She avoided looking at Kagome, as she felt tears welling in her eyes.

"And I miss them too, but…" the girl said hesitantly. Her friend kept staring at Mai. Kagome smiled.

"It is hard, when you have people, you care for, in both worlds, right?" she asked. Mai turned abruptly to the other girl and saw understanding in her eyes. "You missed Rin-chan all the time, didn't you?"

Mai sighed heavily, when her friend mentioned the child. Rin brought a whole lot of trouble upon her head including a murderous youkai, but she was a little sister to her. There wasn't a day without Mai worrying, if the kid was still alive, warm and fed. The worst was, that when both of them were in the same world, they couldn't ever meet anyway. Rin was precious for her, but her own life was too.

The girl looked at Kagome, when she felt her friend poking her with the finger. The black-haired girl passed Mai a folded piece of paper. She took it and wiped the tears of her face with the back of her hand. Then, she unfolded the paper carefully, not to tear it, curious, what it was. Mai gasped. She held in her hand one of Rin's drawings, exactly the newer version of the one, the kid showed her before the escape. In the picture was the whole Sesshomaru's group, including Mai. She and the dog-demon were holding the child's arms. The girl noticed, that Rin was getting better at drawing. The picture was made very neatly – it was apparent, that the child put much heart and time into making this one. However, this was not all. On the side of the piece of paper was a text. Mai opened her eyes wider, as she recognized the familiar messy letters. Rin managed to actually write something on her own. The girl felt pride filling her heart. Mai narrowed her eyes to read the letter.

Mai,

I miss you so much and wish you were with us again. I am heelthy, so please don't worrie about me. I love you.

Rin

Mai smiled, when she noticed the small mistakes. She will have to show the girl, how to get those words right. No… she won't ever have the chance to do that. The girl felt a stab of pain in her heart, but she was glad, that the kid was safe and sound.

She looked at Kagome, grateful, that her friend passed the letter to her.

"Thanks." She said to the black-haired girl. "Your family worries about you, so go and tell them, that you are all right."

Kagome nodded.

"I'll be in a minute, so don't go anywhere!" the girl said to Mai, standing up and climbing onto the edge of the well. She jumped in and vanished, leaving Mai alone on the clearing.

The girl watched her friend passing through to their time. She stared for a while at the bottom of the well, when she heard a gush of wind blowing from behind her, ruffling her hair. Mai whirled around and saw a woman casually landing on the ground, placing a white feather in her hair. She smiled at her, what gave Mai creeps. Instinctively, the girl made a step back, but there was the well behind her.

"Ooo." The woman spoke up, lifting a fan to her face. "To think Sesshomaru left you alone…"

Mai widened her eyes. What the hell did the woman want from her? The girl had a very bad feeling about this – especially because the woman was a youkai. There was no doubt about that. Red eyes, pointy ears, everything about her screamed demon. Mai gathered her courage.

"Who are you and what do you want?" she demanded. The woman snorted.

"My name is Kagura and I serve Naraku." She explained.

Naraku. Mai realized, that she was in a deep shit.

"What the hell Naraku wants from me?" Mai asked, feeling more and more nervous. She looked for the escape routes. The village was quite far from here, so she would have to run fast and far. Did she have a chance to outrun this Kagura woman?

Kagura laughed.

"Och, you're a feisty one." She said, making a step towards Mai. "It's rather obvious, that Naraku would want Sesshomaru's woman as a hostage." Kagura explained, rolling her eyes.

"Sesshomaru's woman?" Mai repeated, confused. Did Naraku take her as Sesshomaru's… lover or something like that?

Mai felt herself blushing and cursed her face for such a reaction in this situation. Her first reaction was to start protesting at the absurd idea, but, fortunately, she stopped right in time. If she said it was not true, she would be worthless as a hostage and, as a result, dead.

The girl decided, that it would be the best to buy some time or distract Kagura.

"So what does he want with Sesshomaru?" Mai asked. Kagura snorted, amused by a silly question.

"Are you an idiot? Don't you…" Kagura stopped in midsentence, as Mai darted sideways, running to the village.

Then everything happened so fast. Mai ran forward and heard Kagura screaming something behind her back. The girl fell backwards, as the wind blades in the shape of crescent moons struck the ground right before her feet. She got on her feet instantly and tried to escape in another direction, but saw Kagura swishing with her fan.

"Fujin no mai!" the woman screamed and the wind blades flew once more in Mai's direction. The girl had to jump sideways to avoid the attack knocking her of the feet again. Angry Kagura gritted her teeth, hissing from irritation.

"Get her!" she yelled and countless snake-like youkai flew from between the trees. Mai yelped and looked for the way to escape, but she was already surrounded.

"Mai!" she heard a familiar voice calling her name and turned her head in the direction of the sound. She saw Kagome crawling out of the well. Shit! Now her friend was in danger too.

"Kagome! Go back!" Mai screamed, but it was too late. One of the youkai flew from the behind and with a swish of the tail hit Kagome in the back of her head, making her lose consciousness. Another one snatched the girl and flew towards Kagura.

"Kagome!" Mai screamed. Kagura turned her attention back to the girl.

"All right. It's time to finish." She said and waved her hand, ordering a youkai to get her. They tried to do the same thing to her as to Kagome, but Mai managed to duck and avoid being hit in the head. She wanted to jump aside, but huge claws grabbed her firmly and lifted the girl from the ground.

"Let me go!" she yelled, struggling with the demon. Kagura rolled her eyes and plucked the white feather from her hair. It enlarged and the demon flew on it next to Mai, who was still trying to fight with her captor.

"Stop struggling you idiot! You're coming anyway." She scolded the girl. "I have no idea what Sesshomaru sees in you."

This was too much for Mai.

"Don't you even dare to say that arrogant jerk's name to me!" she yelled, forgetting to stay cautious. "I hate him and I hate you!"

Kagura stared at her with wide eyes, surprised by the sudden outburst.

"I see you have some guts. I advise you not to say such things to Naraku, if you want to live." She said quietly and flew on her feather higher, the youkai after her.

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**And?**


	36. Out of the frying pan into the fire

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Umm… I'm sure, that you'll like this chapter… just a hunch. Enjoy and comment!**

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**Chapter 36**

**Out of the frying pan into the fire**

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"Kagome." Mai whispered, as she shook her friend's shoulder. It's been a while since Kagura took them to some house and locked them in a cell. The girl was shoved inside and the demon threw the unconscious Kagome after her. While waiting for the other girl to come to, Mai looked around discreetly. They were in the room secured by wooden bars. It was only wood, not steel, but it was thick and there was no way that a girl could kick them out – Mai wasn't Chuck Norris after all.

A large scary youkai was sitting outside their cell, guarding them. It looked like it consisted mainly of fangs, claws and scales – he hadn't even a form close to humanoid-like. Kagura was sitting with them for a while too, but seemed to go somewhere.

Mai saw Kagome stirring. She came closer to her friend.

"Where are we?" moaned Kagome, slowly sitting up and gripping her aching head. She let out a whimper, as she touched the spot, where the youkai hit her – surely there will be a large bruise. The black-haired girl looked around and took in surroundings.

"We're Naraku's prisoners." Mai offered an explanation. Kagome nodded, not seeming to be surprised.

"Och. That's bad." Kagome said. Mai couldn't agree more. "What does Naraku want with us?" she asked.

The brown-haired girl sighed heavily.

"Apparently, we are hostages." She replied. Kagome furrowed her brows.

"So Naraku wants to blackmail Inuyasha with our lives." Kagome shared the result of her little brainstorming. Mai cleared her throat.

"With yours. He kidnapped me because of Sesshomaru. Naraku must have gotten some strange ideas." Mai said rolling her eyes. Kagome stared at her and smiled widely. She snorted and covered her mouth with the hand, not to giggle.

"I see." She replied shortly, still trying to control giggle. Mai narrowed her eyes at her, as she felt her face turning red again. God what was with her and her blushing?!

"Kagome! Be serious in a situation like that!" she scolded her friend. Kagome stopped giggling.

"Don't worry, Mai. Inuyasha will come and save us. I believe in him." She said, glancing at the sun rays, that were shining through the small windows.

"I think we should be counting on ourselves." She said to her and shoved something discreetly into Kagome's hand. The black-haired girl opened her palm and gasped quietly, as she saw a large sharp nail, of a size of a finger. Mai was proud of herself, that she managed to pull two of these out of the wooden pillars. It was a miserable weapon, but better such a weapon than none. Kagome smiled and gripped the nail.

"I can feel only one youkai in the vicinity." She said, giving Mai hope. If only they could take the big one, that was guarding them, down…

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"Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, it is too late now." Said Naraku with a smirk plastered across his face, floating in midair inside his impenetrable barrier. Inuyasha furrowed his brows and gripped Tessaiga tighter. Beside him was standing Sesshomaru, who was scanning Naraku for the weak points.

"I don't know, what are talking about, but prepare yourself!" yelled Inuyasha and rushed blindly forward, sending Kaze no kizu in Naraku's direction. Sesshomaru glanced at his little half-brother with disdain.

"You idiot!" he hissed to the hanyou, as the yellow energy wave got reflected by the barrier and was now flying right at the two brothers.

"Shit!" yelled Inuyasha and jumped sideways, just a second after Sesshomaru. Naraku laughed at the desperate attempts of attacking him. However, he didn't even make a single attempt to wound or kill his enemies. He stayed within the protection of the barrier, knowing, that even touching him was impossible – as though he was buying time.

"It may interest the both of you," Naraku spoke up, smiling widely. "that in this very moment, while the two of you are battling pointlessly here, someone precious to you dies."

The hanyou widened his eyes, understanding what the despicable enemy meant.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha said. Naraku laughed.

"Precisely, Inuyasha, I've just given the order to kill her."

The hanyou growled with fury, eager to rush after his Kagome. Sesshomaru only snorted.

"Are you stupid enough to think, that this Sesshomaru would be bothered, if you killed this human?" the dog-demon asked with disdain in his voice. Naraku only smiled wider.

"Would you, knowing, that I have the human girl of yours as well?" the enemy replied with a question. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and sent Naraku hateful glare. He held Rin captive? The battle was important, but he could not let Naraku kill his ward. The dog-demon inhaled the air. The stench of the enemy was everywhere, but there was also another one, very similar, but more feminine. With a corner of his eye, Sesshomaru noticed Kagura – if Naraku entrusted someone the task of capturing Rin, he would to this woman. If he traced her scent back, he could find the place, where his ward had been held. There was no time to lose.

Sesshomaru leapt into the air. Naraku smiled, expecting to be attacked by the demon blinded with fury. However, the inu-youkai engulfed himself in the ball of green light and darted off in the opposite direction, leaving startled Naraku and Inuyasha. The hanyou cursed under his nose, glanced at the enemy once more and ran after his older brother as fast as he could, hoping to get to Kagome in time to save her.

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Meanwhile, Mai felt Kagome tugging her arm.

"Mai!" the girl said, getting her attention. Mai whirled around to see what unnerved her friend and cursed under her nose. The demon, who was guarding them, finally moved. He stood up.

"Kill them." He muttered in raspy voice. Mai felt her body go stiff and looked at Kagome. Her friend was gripping the nail behind her back, ready to defend herself.

"Eyes." Kagome whispered to Mai. The girl nodded, understanding, what her friend had in mind. However, she couldn't help to think, that they will die anyway. They weren't warriors like Sango or Inuyasha.

The demon smashed the door with his fist, sending the pieces of wood flying in all directions and started approaching them. Mai made a step back, scared. What should they do now? Kagome stood strong and looked at the youkai with a glimpse of determination in her eye.

"You are going to kill us, right?" she called to the guardian, who stopped after hearing her voice. "We won't try to fight. Let's make a deal: we'll come to you and you'll kill us when we are ready!"

The demon and Mai stared at Kagome dumbfounded. What the hell was she thinking? The youkai laughed.

"Why would you do that?" he asked. Kagome didn't avert her eyes from the guardian.

"We don't want to suffer! And you will have an easy job. Do we have a deal?" she asked. The demon chuckled at the thought of the prey willingly coming right into his arms.

"Deal." He said finally. Kagome nodded and grabbed Mai's hand.

"Come." She told her, sending a meaningful look. Mai understood. Kagome wanted to approach the demon to blind him, but this was plainly crazy! The plan won't work. Not minding her resistance, the black-haired girl dragged Mai behind her, until they were face to face with the youkai.

"I have something to say." Kagome said quietly to the youkai, almost inaudibly. The guardian snarled, irritated and lowered his head to listen to the girl. Mai noticed Kagome tightening her grip on the nail behind her back, reading herself to strike, and did the same. The girl did her best to maintain focus. When Kagome kicked her ankle lightly, Mai gathered all her courage and darted to the demons head. With a scream, she pierced the right eye with a rusty piece of metal in the same time, when her friend wounded the left one.

Mai felt Kagome grabbing her arm and knocking her onto the ground, in the last moment to avoid the sharp claws of the creature, who was waving widely with its limbs, giving off the shrieks of pain. Kagome lifted her finger to her lips showing Mai to be silent and started crawling on her fours through the hole, the demon made earlier. The girl quickly followed her friend, keeping the eye on the guardian at the same time. The blinded youkai was tossing all around the place, cursing and screaming, demolishing everything he made contact with. When they crawled far enough, Kagome stood up and helped Mai get on her feet. Silently they rushed towards the exit. They got out easily and ran away from the house.

"That was surprisingly easy." Kagome said with a smile, as they were running away. Mai nodded, startled that her friend's plan actually worked, even though it was crazy. The girl tried to keep the pace, panting heavily. Then she saw the smile felling from Kagome's face, as the girl turned her head to glance behind. Mai did the same and cursed.

"Oh shit!" she exclaimed, suddenly finding the strength to run faster. After them were going numerous serpent-like youkai and they were closing. The girls picked up the speed, struggling to escape the threat. Mai prayed for Inuyasha to hurry.

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Sesshomaru knew he was on the right way. He picked up the stench of numerous youkai and two scents of humans. The one belonged to the miko, who travelled with Inuyasha and the other… It was not Rin's scent, but it was a familiar one. The dog demon widened his eyes in surprise, as he recognized it – it was Mai, the woman who vanished in the Bone Eaters' Well two months ago. Was she back? What was she doing here? Sesshomaru frowned at the thought of Naraku capturing his prey – the woman belonged to him. There was no possibility, that this Sesshomaru would let Naraku lay his hands on his possession!

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"Run, Mai, run!" Kagome screamed, grabbing the girl and dragging her after herself, as Mai was slower. The demons were catching up and Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen.

Mai was running as fast as she could, but she felt the strength leaving her body. She tripped a couple of times, nearly falling. The girl tried not to look back, but heard the roars of the youkai quickly approaching. Panicked, she desperately tried to speed up, but her she stumbled instead. Fortunately, Kagome helped her and motioned to run.

"Faster!" her friend screamed.

"I'm trying!" Mai screamed back, panting. She looked back and yelped. The demons were closer than she thought. She and Kagome will be dead meat in seconds. She averted her gaze from the youkai and saw a flash of green light approaching them from the front, crashing into the ground in a certain distance from the girls.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome panted, as none other than the tall silver-haired demon emerged from the ball of light. Seeing him, Mai instinctively stopped, but the black-haired girl motioned her to continue running towards the inu-youkai.

"Move!" she screamed to Mai. The girl glanced back once more at Naraku's demons and then at Sesshomaru, who was casually drawing Tokijin. Which was worse? To be killed by those youkai, that chased her or Kagome or be murdered by Sesshomaru later? Finally, she decided to worry about the dog demon later.

She and Kagome picked up the speed, running straight to Sesshomaru. Mai saw him lifting his sword. Her eyes widened, when she noticed youki, that started to swirl around the blade. The girl knew what was coming.

"Down!" she screamed, falling to the ground and dragging Kagome down as well. Her friend yelped, as her body slammed against the dirt. She tried to argue, but Mai grabbed the back of Kagome's head and pushed it down – right in time.

"SOURYUUHA!" the girl heard Sesshomaru's voice and the powerful wave of youki flew just an inch above the girls, ruffling their hair. Then there were only pained roars of the youkai and the silence fell.

After a while Mai let go of Kagome's head and slowly lifted herself to the sitting position. The demons had been annihilated. The black-haired girl sat as well, wiping the dirt of her face.

"Thanks." She muttered to Mai, having realized, that the girl just saved her life. Mai nodded.

"You're welcome." She replied. "Oh no."

Mai opened her eyes wider, as she saw Sesshomaru walking slowly towards them, a dangerous glint in his eye. The girl paled at the sight of him smirking at her.

"Crap." She whispered.

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**Send me your reviews and write what you think!**


	37. It never rains but it pours

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Thanks for the support… I have a trouble writing those horrible chapters XX, XX and XX. Uff… I have free time today, so I hope, that I'll be able to finish them. Oh, sorry for the cliffhangers... Anyway, have fun reading this one! [evil laughter]**

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**Chapter 37**

**It never rains but it pours**

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"Shit." Mai whispered, as she saw Sesshomaru approaching with a malicious grin on his face. She felt all color leaving her face – what an irony: she just avoided a danger only to face a bigger one. The girls quickly jumped on their feet. Kagome looked at Mai's terrified face and moved in front of her friend, shielding her with her body.

"Don't come closer, Sesshomaru!" Kagome called to the demon. Sesshomaru didn't stop. He glared at the black-haired girl.

"Do not stand in my way." He said calmly. Hearing his words, Mai grabbed Kagome by a hem of her blouse and shoved her aside. She didn't want to get killed, but she wouldn't be happy with her best friend sacrificing her life either. Surprised Kagome tried to shield Mai once more, but the girl stopped her.

"Don't. He'll kill you." Mai hissed to her friend. Sesshomaru's attention turned from Kagome to Mai. Terrified girl observed, as the demon hid Tokijin and flexed his fingers, ready to end what he started two months ago. She gulped, sure, that the end was near.

"KAGOME!" a male voice yelled. Both girls and Sesshomaru turned towards the source of the sound. Inuyasha with transformed Tessaiga on his shoulder darted to them and leaped into the air, landing between the girls and his brother. He looked at Kagome over his shoulder, ensuring she was all right. She nodded and smiled at him, grateful, that the hanyou got here just in time. Mai let out a breath, she was holding, feeling relieved.

However, Sesshomaru was not so pleased – the demon glared at the hanyou, irritated, that he dared to interrupt. Neither of the brothers made a move. They were just standing still and observing each other, ready for counterattack – Inuyasha gripping Tessaiga and Sesshomaru with the hand on Tokijin's hilt.

Suddenly, the both brothers and Kagome sensed something, that Mai couldn't. Her friend turned her head upwards. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha forgot completely about their stare contest and concentrated on the same spot as the black-haired girl. Mai looked at their focused faces and glanced in that direction. She saw a dark cloud forming out of nowhere.

"Oh, Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, it seems like you managed to save your women. How impressive." The cloud said the word in a deep, male voice. Inuyasha furrowed his brows, tightening the grip on Tessaiga's hilt and Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. As Mai looked at the demon's face, she could tell, he was extremely pissed. He barely managed to refrain himself from transforming – his demons markings began to get jagged and golden eyes gleamed with wrath.

"Naraku, do not assume, that this Sesshomaru would be bothered by the death of those humans!" the demon hissed to the cloud. Mai gasped. Naraku! So that was him!

The dark cloud laughed maliciously and started to dissolve.

"He's escaping!" Kagome shouted, pointing Naraku with her finger.

"I will not let him." Sesshomaru growled, as his eyes become red and his powerful demonic aura flared up around him.

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha yelled to his brother, but Sesshomaru paid no attention to the hanyou. Mai covered her eyes with her arm, when she was blinded by a purple light. When she lowered her arm, she saw the demon, transformed into his true form of a huge dog, leaping into the air and chasing the cloud.

Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's sleeve.

"Inuyasha! Can't we follow him?" she asked, looking after Naraku and Sesshomaru disappearing in the clouds. The half-demon gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He shook his head.

"I can't smell his scent anymore. Sesshomaru has a better nose than me." Inuyasha admitted. "If anyone can follow Naraku, it can be only him."

The three of them fell silent, Kagome and Inuyasha regretting, that Naraku managed to get away again. Mai felt, that she was getting a terrible headache. She was only a couple of hours in the feudal era and she got herself kidnapped again, some demon tried to kill her, then she ran into Sesshomaru – why the hell did she have that idiotic idea of jumping into the well? In her time she lead a miserable life, but at least was safe.

"So…" she spoke up. "that was Naraku?"

"Yeah." Answered Inuyasha, folding his arms. The hanyou shot a quick look at Mai and examined Kagome, worry in his eyes. "Kagome, are you really all right?" he asked. Kagome nodded and opened her mouth, about to reply – but Mai was faster. Fed up by being ignored, she shoved Kagome aside and glared at the hanyou.

"Yes, more or less, we are fine. We just got kidnapped by some Kagura and a bunch of youkai, then a demon tried to murder us and we were running away from more youkai, who wanted to kill us. Oh, and Sesshomaru was about to murder me too." She recited with anger in her voice. Inuyasha was a bit taken aback by her tirade. Kagome patted Mai's shoulder to calm the friend and smiled.

"We're okay, Inuyasha. Let's go back." She said. Inuyasha sent a glare at Mai and nodded. Kagome climbed on his back.

"Come on, Mai! Don't stand there!" she called. Mai furrowed her brows. Kagome didn't mean, that she should also…

"Mai, get on my back!" Inuyasha said impatiently, rolling his eyes. Hesitantly, Mai climbed next to Kagome, trying to get the silver mane of Inuyasha's hair out of her eyes. She yelped, as the hanyou jumped forward and rushed at his full speed. She clutched his red kimono, not to fall off.

"Inuyasha, where's Sango and Miroku?" Kagome asked casually.

"They went after Kohaku. We're meeting in the village." The hanyou answered. Mai cursed, as she felt, that she was slipping of his back and gripped his hair to pull herself up.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" yelled Inuyasha.

"Shut up and run!" Mai screamed back, satisfied, that she managed not to fall off.

"You shut up!" the hanyou yelled back. Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes. Mai was about to argue more, but Kagome stopped her.

"Calm down, both of you! Geez, why you have to behave like kids?" the black-haired girl scolded them and earned a poisonous glare from Mai along with "Feh!" from Inuyasha.

Sometime later Inuyasha managed to carry the two girls to Kaede's village, where the old miko, Shippo, Sango with Kirara and lecherous monk Miroku were already waiting for them. Mai got of the hanyou's back as soon as possible. The greeting took some time, while everyone exchanged information about the confrontation with Naraku and his minions. Apparently, Sango and Miroku were attacked by Kohaku, the demon-slayer's little brother, who was now working for Naraku. Bored Mai coaxed Kaede into making her some tea.

The old priestess passed a cup to the girl and gave her a small pouch, filled with some smelly plants. Mai examined it carefully.

"What is it?" she asked finally. The old woman cleared her throat.

"The herbs inside the pouch will hide your scent from demons. You must always carry this pouch with you, even in bath." Kaede said with a serious look in her eyes. Mai nodded slowly.

"You mean hide from Sesshomaru?" she made sure.

"Aye."

The girl hanged it immediately on her neck, thinking, that now, when the demon knew she was here again, she would really need it.

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Soon Kagome said goodbye, finally leaving to see her family and write some tests and Inuyasha flew on Kirara to visit Totosai, leaving Mai under the protection of Miroku and Sango.

Sango and Mai were chatting about what they would like Kagome to bring along with her from the present time, while Miroku and Shippo were just laying on the grass by the river, after the girls dressed the minor wounds, the monk had.

"Last time Kagome-chan brought something called strawberry shampoo, the hair after washing with it was very silky." Sango said and Mai nodded vigorously.

"Yes, but I like also the one that smells of grapefruit." The girl answered, stretching her arms. Sango furrowed her brows, trying to remember something.

"I think I've tried it once, but cherry scent is the best." Sango replied and turned her head in the other direction. "I wonder if something did happen."

Mai also turned her head and Miroku stood up. A man, from his looks a plain villager, was running in towards the shouting something. When he caught up, he panted heavily, fighting to catch breath.

"The village… under attack… a youkai" he managed to utter. Miroku picked up his staff and Sango placed hiraikotsu on her back. Sango turned to Mai.

"Stay here with Shippo." The demon-slayer told Mai. "We'll come back for you, when we'll kill this youkai."

"Okay. We'll wait. It's not like I'll be kidnapped the second time today." Said Mai, watching as her two protectors and the villager ran towards the village, leaving her with the little fox-demon.

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"What an eventful day." Shippo commented. Mai nodded.

"Umm. I would prefer it to be boring, though." The girl said, snorting at the thought, that before the adventure with the cursed mirror she wished for her life to be more interesting. And when it was, somehow she couldn't enjoy it.

"I wonder how when Sango and Miroku will be back." Shippo said, but Mai didn't listen to him, as she spotted a dark shape in the sky, getting bigger and bigger, as though it was approaching. It was quite a familiar sight.

"Shippo…" she began, pointing at the shape. The little fox demon squinted his eyes and yelped.

"It's a demon!" the fox-youkai screamed and started running away, grabbing the hem of Mai's dress. The girl gripped the kid's collar, almost effortlessly lifting him of the ground and darted towards the village. She didn't manage to run far, as the bluish energy ball hit the path before her as a warning and she heard a loud thud behind her back, indicating, that something really heavy just landed. Mai whirled around, ushering Shippo out of the danger's way.

She gasped, when she saw the demon.

"Ah-Un? What are you doing here?" she asked. In front of her was indeed standing Sesshomaru's dragon and was waving his tail in a friendly way. He came closer to Mai and sniffed her cautiously, tilting its heads in confusion, as the herbs in the pouch masked the girl's scent. Shippo yelped and hid himself behind her and Mai patted each head.

"Mai, maybe it's Sesshomaru's trap." Shippo s

aid, but she rolled her eyes.

"If he wanted to get me, he would come himself. I doubt, that he is even capable of grasping the idea of setting a trap." Mai answered. But something was strange. She was wondering, what the beast was doing here alone – without Jaken and Rin or the silver-haired demon. Maybe something happened? Mai suddenly felt a stab of pain in her heart, when she thought of the worst. "Ah-Un, did something happen?" she asked nervously. The dragon roared and nodded its heads vigorously. Mai paled slightly.

"Is someone in danger? Under attack?" she asked, but Ah-Un didn't give much of response. "Hurt?"

The dragon nodded vigorously again.

"Is it Rin?" Mai asked, fearing for the child. Ah-Un stayed still, as if considering something, but after a moment he started nodding fervently.

Mai cursed loudly. That idiot Sesshomaru Rin left chasing Naraku and now the child must be wounded, scared and helpless. How could he be so irresponsible! She knew, that helping Rin could mean huge trouble, but the kid's life was more important. She grabbed the first-aid kit, that Kagome left behind and approached the dragon. She was about to mount it, when Shippo grabbed her ankle with both his arms.

"What are you doing?!" the fox youkai screamed.

"Let go, Shippo! I have to help Rin!" Mai shouted at him, freeing herself from the grasp of little arms. She climbed on the dragon and took the reins.

"I'll be back as soon as possible." She said to Shippo and turned to the beast. "Go, Ah-Un!"

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The dragon leapt into the air and Mai clutched the saddle stronger, careful not to lose the first-aid kit. She shut her eyes tightly, cursing her fear of heights. The flight was quite long - when Ah-Un finally landed and Mai managed to gather the courage to open her eyes, she saw, that the sun was already setting. She slipped of the beast's back. The dragon pointed at something with one of his heads and took off, leaving the girl alone on the ground.

"Ah-Un, you bastard! Come down!" Mai screamed after the creature, but it already disappeared in the clouds. What the hell was wrong with it? The girl glanced in the direction, Ah-Un was pointing before, and saw something like an entrance to the cave. Rin must be there! She ran quickly to it and peeked inside. It took a while for her eyes to accustom to the dim light.

There, inside the cave, she saw a figure lying, but it wasn't Rin. It was Sesshomaru.

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**A comment for me, perhaps? Come on, it wouldn't hurt to write one…**

**Shit, is it a cliffhanger again?  
**


	38. Too good for her own good

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Whoa… I had a tough night. Together with my beloved, we pulled an all-nighter – he was playing Diablo III and I was typing the most epic chapters so far and almost finished them. When I woke up just a moment ago, I checked if I got any reviews from you guys and was like: "Holy shit! I have to give those nice guys another chapter!" Thanks for commenting so much, it makes me ecstatic (enough to get to work on the ending of the epic chapter, I'm writing). Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 38**

**Too good for her own good**

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"Crap." Mai cursed under her nose. Why those kind of things have to happen to her? And how could she be that stupid to be tricked by Ah-Un? The dragon was an animal, for god's sake! She took another peek inside the cave. Sesshomaru wasn't moving. Mai's instinct was screaming: run! Any reasonable person in her situation would get the hell out of here, leaving the demon to heal on his own. But… what if he would bleed to death? Rin won't ever forgive Mai for letting her beloved Sesshomaru-sama die. On the other hand… if he died, the kid wouldn't know.

Mai slapped her forehead. How could she even think like that? She wasn't a monster without conscience, who would let a wounded man… demon - technically speaking – bleed to death. She could just check if he was relatively okay and then run. Right – that was the plan. She stayed at the entrance of the cave.

"Sesshomaru." She called quietly, sure, that he'll hear her. However, there was only silence.

"Sesshomaru!" Mai shouted, but there was no response. Not good – the girl thought and decided to get closer to see what was wrong with the demon. Slowly, she approached the laying figure. She felt her shoe stepping on something wet and sticky. She glanced down. Mai lifted her hand to cover her mouth, not to scream. Blood. There was a huge pool of blood everywhere around Sesshomaru. Was all of that his? Was he even still alive? The girl quickly kneeled by his side. He had his eyes closed and wasn't responding to her presence. She pressed his artery on the neck with two fingers. Mai let out a breath, relieved. There was a pulse, although it was weak. His chest was lifting slightly too. The girl started examining him.

The demon was in a terrible shape. He lost a lot of blood and had minor wounds everywhere. Sesshomaru had his armor shattered and once white clothes were nearly completely red now. Mai leaned and gasped. He was slashed from the left shoulder to the right hip. The wound was deep and the flesh around it had strange color – it must be some kind of infection. The injuries showed no sign of healing.

With determination, Mai opened the first-aid kit. Maybe Sesshomaru was an ass and tried to kill her, but there was no way, that the girl would leave anyone in such state. She would just dress his wounds and leave when we'll start go get better. She removed the remnants of the armor, careful not to get any pieces into the wound and took out scissors. Swiftly, she cut his haori and removed it. Mai hissed, when she saw, that the injury was worse than she thought. The girl looked around for some water to cleanse the wound. Luckily, there was a stream flowing across the corner of the cave. She tore the pieces of haori, that were relatively clean and soaked them with water. Mai washed the flesh around the wound and disinfected the slash by pouring the whole bottle of hydrogen peroxide on the wound. A normal person would wake up and scream in pain, but Sesshomaru didn't even budge. Then, she put some gauze on the injury and did her best to wrap the bandage around the demon's torso, having some difficulties lifting his limp and heavy body. Mai sighed and wiped the sweat of her forehead. All right, the most work is done. She managed to stop the source of bleeding. Now were the minor wounds remaining – the biggest ones on Sesshomaru's cheek, arm, and also few here and there. She bandaged them quickly or used sticking plasters on them. Satisfied with herself, she searched in the kit for any useful items. Mai smiled, as she found a lighter. Great! Now she could make a fire – she could barely see anything in the dim light, that the rays of the setting sun cast.

The girl went to gather some firewood and built a fire at the entrance to the cave. Now that the cave was lit, Mai cleaned a bit around her patient - she wiped the cave floor with the remnants of the demon's haori and placed him comfortably on his white fur. She also washed the rags, just in case she would need them later, and let them dry by the fire. When she was done, Mai sat by the fire, observing the unconscious inu-youkai.

During all this time, she was dressing his wounds he didn't show any sign of regaining consciousness, what worried her. Hopefully now, when the bleeding was stopped, he'll begin to regain his strength. Mai knew, that Rin would be depressed, if he died and Jaken would probably commit seppuku. She had a hunch, that staying here and trying to save that arrogant jerk was a mistake, but she couldn't help it – she was too good and it was her curse. Mai shifted, as she heard Sesshomaru moving. Was he waking up? Hesitantly, she approached him. The demon was trembling. Right, he was dressed only in his hakama and bandages, but it wasn't that cold. She leaned over him and noticed, that he was sweating. Mai touched his forehead and cursed. Damn. He was burning from fever. It must be the infection – Kagome mentioned, that Naraku emitted some kind of miasma, so it must be it. She rushed to get the pieces of fabric and soaked them with cold water. She put those make-shift compresses on his forehead and everywhere, she could, careful not to wet the bandages. Sesshomaru kept trembling and began to moan, when she was looking for something to use against poison. Penicillin. It would be probably pointless, but she had to try something. She had him swallow it and stayed by his side, changing compresses from time to time. The demon still shivered and moaned. After few hours, Mai decided to take a break – she couldn't do more anyway and she had to get a nap. She laid next to him and closed her eyes.

"Mai." She heard Sesshomaru moaning. Her eyes snapped open and checked on him. Was he awake? However, the demon was unconscious. Mai frowned. She was sure, that he was dreaming of strangling her again. The girl sighed and went back to sleep.

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The first thing Sesshomaru felt was pain. Piercing, excruciating pain, that lit his every single nerve on fire. However the pain was a good sign – it meant that he was alive. Not opening his eyes, he took in surroundings. After the battle with Naraku, he managed to crawl into a cave, severely wounded. Everywhere around was the stench of his blood, it dominated over the other scents. Slowly, ignoring the pain in his chest as he breathed, he inhaled the air. He smelled his own scent, the animals in the woods – nothing out of ordinary. It seemed, that he was alone here. But something was not right. His nose was telling him one thing and the ears another. He heard light breaths and heartbeat… close, as if next to him. He cursed – in this state he might not be able to fight off an enemy. Sesshomaru's eyes snapped open, all red, and he frantically searched for the fiend.

As he shifted a little, the pain shot through his entire body. Then he glanced next to him and his eyes widened in surprise. Beside him was laying none other than the idiot woman, curled into the ball. She seemed to be soundly asleep. What was she doing here? Sesshomaru carefully sniffed the air, but felt irritated, because he did not sense her smell. Did she mask it somehow? The demon smirked, pleased, that he did not have to waste his time hunting for her – she came directly to him instead. How stupid could she be?

Sesshomaru tried to lift himself, but the pain was too great to ignore it - he must be seriously injured. The demon glanced downwards and discovered, that he was half-naked, dressed only in his hakama. His torso and arm were bandaged – the blood began already soaking through - and something damp was on his forehead. He carefully took it off and saw, that it was a cold compress. He looked at sleeping Mai again. Was she the one, who dressed his wounds? Sesshomaru became more and more confused. Finally, he decided, that it was safe enough to rest and closed his eyes.

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Mai stretched her limbs and yawned. Slowly, she sat up, looking around. The sun was already up, the rays of light seeping into the cave. She turned her head and saw Sesshomaru laying still in the same place, his chest rising rhythmically. Good. At least he was still alive. The girl noticed, that the bandages got stained with blood – it was time to change them. She sighed, grabbed the first-aid kit and leaned over the demon, reaching to rip off the sticking plaster of his face.

The girl shrieked in surprise, as the clawed hand suddenly grabbed her wrist and the lids covering golden eyes lifted slowly. She looked at the demon with wide-opened eyes and he glanced back at her.

"You're awake!" she mumbled, trying to free her hand, but Sesshomaru tightened his grip, nearly crushing her bones, not willing to let go.

"I am." He said calmly. "Why did you come here, woman?"

Mai stared at him for a while.

"Isn't it obvious? I was so worried for you, that I came here." She said with sarcasm. The demon furrowed his brows, clearly irritated by her response. Mai sighed. "Ah-Un tricked me into coming here. I thought, that Rin was hurt, but I found you instead."

Sesshomaru was looking into her eyes for a while and lessened the pressure of his fingers on her wrist, but didn't let go.

"Why you did not escape?" he inquired.

"Because you were dying!" Mai nearly shouted into her face. "If I didn't patch you up, today I would have to dig a grave for you! What would I tell Rin? And Jaken? What kind of person I am, according to you? I wouldn't leave anyone to bleed slowly to death, even if you tried to kill me!" Mai began to breath heavily, as she finished her tirade.

Sesshomaru clutched her wrist with more strength, causing the girl to wince from pain. His eyes turned red, as he bared his fangs at her. The demon jerked her hand and pulled her closer to him, so that their faces were only inches away.

"You were the one, that was trying to kill me with a knife!" he hissed, furious. Mai narrowed her eyes, angered. How dare he remind her that?

"It was self-defense! You were trying to strangle me that time!" she retorted. The demon growled at her.

"It was my intention to discipline you, not to kill you!" he yelled at her and averted his gaze from the girl, staring intently at the ceiling. Mai felt anger boiling in her. Discipline? How sadistic could he be?! She felt the urge to punch him with all her strength. On the other hand, she really tried to kill him, but it was his own fault, wasn't it? The girl sighed.

"All right. Let's not talk about it now. Anyway, thanks for saving me and Kagome from Naraku. How did you know, that we'll dodge Souryuuha in time?" Mai asked, deciding it was the best to change the topic and keep non-violent relations for the time being.

"I did not."

Mai took a deep breath, refraining from finishing, what Naraku started. Why must he be such an ass? Let's concentrate on patching him up and then she will run away.

"You need to have those bandages changed." She said to him. The demon glanced at her and averted his eyes again.

"Hn." He muttered. Mai took it for some kind of an agreement.

The silence lasted for a longer while and Mai coughed.

"Sesshomaru, you're still holding my hand." She said. The demon glanced at his own hand, gripping Mai's wrist and released it quickly, as if just burnt him. The girl took out scissors and started cutting the bandage on his torso. Sesshomaru was staring at the ceiling all the time. Delicately, Mai removed the gauzes and took a look on the wound. It didn't seem to inflamed anymore, but it wasn't healing as fast as she thought it would be. Inuyasha healed from his injury much faster. The girl figured out, that it must be because either Naraku's poison or the excessive blood loss.

"Could you sit up?" Mai asked the demon. Sesshomaru nodded and tried to lift himself, gritting his teeth. Although the youkai did his best to maintain stone façade, she could tell, that he was in pain. Mai made a move to help him, but decided against it – it would only hurt his pride and make him more unbearable. Finally, he managed to sit up on his own. Mai pressed the clean gauzes to the wound and began tightly wrapping the bandage around his torso. The girl felt a little uncomfortable, being so close to him and feeling his breath atop her head – she was practically embracing a naked man! Mai blushed at the thought.

"Done." she said after she finished dressing the biggest wound. "I think it will need much more time to heal, but it's better than yesterday."

Sesshomaru nodded and fell backwards on his fur, apparently having used all his strength on sitting up. Mai thought, that he must be really in a bad shape. The girl began bandaging the lesser injuries, noticing, that they began to heal. Some even disappeared completely overnight.

"Why did you escape me?" Sesshomaru asked abruptly, surprising the girl. Mai stared at him for a while. It wasn't like him to start a conversation. Maybe he had a head injury as well?

"I wanted to go home." She answered, ripping of a sticking plaster. Sesshomaru looked at Mai and closed his eyes.

"Will you stay now?" he asked quietly.

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**Comment, because I'm eager to post another chapter soooon!**


	39. Mai's charming patient

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: You are amazing! I love you all! When I saw your comments I just felt, that I couldn't disappoint you. Here's the next chapter. Be sure to write me, what you think and I may post another one today (I have to think about the title, though)**

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**Chapter 39**

**Mai's charming patient.**

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"Will you stay now?" Sesshomaru asked quietly.

Mai's hands stilled. What have gotten into him? Maybe he had a fever again. The girl leaned down and carefully touched his forehead, but it was cold. She furrowed her brows and poked the demon with her finger, but he didn't react. She sighed. He must have been so exhausted, that he fell asleep like a log. The girl decided, that it would be the best to finish dressing his wounds. Quickly, she put on the sticking plasters and bandages, where needed, and picked up the rags from the cave floor.

She stretched her aching limbs and went outside. The weather was marvelous, as expected from the hot summer. She went on a little trek and found a river. Mai couldn't resist the temptation. The girl undressed as fast as she could and jumped into the water.

"It's the best!" she giggled to herself. Mai took her clothes and washed them in the river, as it was possible, and left them on the stones to dry. Satisfied, she went back to splashing in the cool water.

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**Elsewhere…**

Sango, Miroku and Shippo were sitting around the well, waiting for either Kagome or Inuyasha to arrive. Mai was missing nearly for a day already.

"I can't believe, we lost her." Sango sighed heavily. The monk and the fox-demon nodded in agreement, equally worried.

"Kagome-sama will skin us alive." The monk commented. "It seems, that we fell for Ah-Un's diversion."

The tree of them sat in complete silence for a while, when Shippo tugged Miroku's sleeve.

"Miroku, look! Someone is coming!" the little fox demon exclaimed. The monk and the demon-slayer turned their heads in the direction, Shippo was pointing.

Two small figures were darting towards them. One was a girl with black messy hair in an orange kimono and the other – the green imp carrying Nintoujou. Sango looked warily around, expecting to spot Sesshomaru, but the dog demon was nowhere near.

"Jaken? What are you doing here?" asked Shippo. The green imp was panting heavily. He took a deep breath.

"Did you people see Sesshomaru-sama by the chance?" Jaken asked.

"Did you see Mai?" Sango replied with a question.

"Mai?" Rin asked abruptly. "Mai is here?"

"Sesshomaru has gone somewhere?" Shippo asked.

Miroku coughed, trying to get everyone's attention. Once ensured, that all eyes were on him, the monk began.

"I think, that we must get some things straight. First, Mai. She has returned and Ah-Un kidnapped her yesterday. Jaken, do any of you have something to do with it?" the monk asked, glaring at the imp. Jaken made a resentful face.

"Ah-Un abandoned us too – he suddenly flew off somewhere, so how would we know? Did you meet Sesshomaru-sama? He left us some time ago and is not back yet." Stated Jaken and Rin nodded with worry all over her face.

"Sesshomaru and Inuyasha battled against Naraku yesterday and he chased after Naraku alone." Sango offered an explanation. Jaken and Rin gasped.

"Jaken-sama, do you think Sesshomaru-sama is okay?" panicked girl started shaking the imp by his shoulders.

Everyone was so absorbed in observing those two, that they didn't notice the arrival of three more newcomers.

"HEY!" everyone whirled around at the yell and saw Inuyasha, dismounting Kirara and – to everyone's surprise – Ah-Un. The half demon took a look at the strange group gathered by the well and folded his arms. "Does anyone care to explain, what the hell is going on? And what Jaken is doing here?"

Everyone started talking at the same time, trying to explain the situation to Inuyasha. The irritated hanyou growled and they went silent.

"Miroku?" Inuyasha asked. The monk sighed and nodded.

"I see, that you found Ah-Un, Inuyasha." Miroku commented. The hanyou shrugged his shoulders.

"Feh! It glued to me along the way." He said and glared at Jaken with suspicion. "Shouldn't you guys be with Sesshomaru?"

"It seems, that Sesshomaru is missing." Miroku explained.

"So what? Who cares about the bastard anyway?" answered Inuyasha, yawning. The monk made a troubled face.

"Actually, Mai is missing too. She was kidnapped by Ah-Un yesterday and I believe, that she may be with Sesshomaru right now." He said hesitantly, waiting for the hanyou's reaction. Inuyasha stayed silent for a while, processing the information. Finally, his eyes widened, as he linked the facts.

"WHAT?!" he yelled. "He'll kill her! And Kagome will kill me, if Mai is dead!"

The hanyou turned to Ah-Un and glared at the dragon. The group flinched, when they saw, how scary the hanyou's face was.

"Where are they?" Inuyasha growled. Ah-Un turned his heads away, clearly avoiding answering.

"WHERE. ARE. THEY?!" The half-demon yelled at the creature, but the dragon was stubborn.

"Inuyasha…" Shippo began. "I don't think, that he is going to tell you that."

Inuyasha shot the last glare at Ah-Un and turned to the group.

"All right, we have to track Sesshomaru down. Let's go!" he said.

Sango, Miroku and Shippo mounted Kirara and took off. Inuyasha turned around, when he saw Jaken and Rin climbing Ah-Un with looks of determination on their faces.

"Where do you two think you're going?" he asked.

"After Sesshomaru-sama." Stated Jaken.

"And Mai." Added Rin.

Inuyasha sighed, deciding that it would be pointless to argue with them.

"Let's go!" he shouted and the enlarged group set off to find Mai and Sesshomaru.

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Sesshomaru opened his eyes slowly and looked around. The rays of light seeping into the cave had slightly red shade – the sun was already setting. Did he lose consciousness again? The demon frowned, angry at himself for showing weakness in front of the human woman. He should have not let her see him in such venerable state. Speaking of which, she was nowhere to be seen. Instinctively, he inhaled air, seeking her scent, but berated himself almost immediately – he remembered, that she masked it with the herbs. What an annoying creature, trying to hide from him. Where was she? Probably she took advantage of that he was not conscious and escaped again.

The demon gritted the teeth at the thought. How dare his property run away from its master? Carefully, he touched the bandaged wound on his chest. It was still hurting, but the pain lessened much. It seemed, that once the effects of Naraku's shouki had been neutralized, he was able to heal as fast as ever. Slowly, trying not to reopen the wound, Sesshomaru stood up. His legs were slightly trembling, but they supported his weight just fine. He made his way to the exit.

The sun was indeed setting. The demon smelled the scents of small animals, that usually lived in the woods like this. His ears picked up the sounds of trees rustling, the forest creatures stirring in the bushes. He turned his head, as he heard a bigger animal not somewhere very near. Something was odd. His nose could not tell him, what it exactly was. Could it be… Slowly he made his way towards the source of the sound.

As he passed the trees, she saw Mai on the clearing. The woman was dancing with her eyes closed, as though she was engulfed in her own world, no one else had access to. The steps of the dance were foreign to him – he had never seen anyone dancing like she did. Surprisingly, now her moves were fluent and full of grace, the complete opposite of her usual clumsiness. Earlier Sesshomaru did not pay attention to it, but the woman was wearing a strange outfit, resembling attire of Inuyasha's miko. The demon frowned, as he saw how revealing the clothing was – it did not even cover her legs and shoulders. Was she not concerned about the lustful looks of men? Somehow he felt anger welling within him as the mere thought.

Mai kept swirling all over the clearing, practicing the moves, she had seen her mother dancing on the video tapes. She didn't do it for so long. First, she was afraid, that she would forget everything, but step by step everything came back and she let her body take control. With her eyes closed, she imagined herself dancing side by side with her mother – the moments she danced were the only ones, when she felt connection between herself and the woman, who gave birth and loved her and who Mai never really knew, as she died when the girl was only two years old.

The girl was about to make a pirouette, but stepped on a stone and lost balance. Her eyes snapped open, as she desperately waved her arms to regain balance. When she did, she let out a sigh of relief and looked in front of her. Mai froze, seeing a familiar person just three meters from her and stared into the golden eyes.

Sesshomaru stared back at her, not saying anything. They stayed like that for some time, when Mai finally regained the ability to speak.

"Sesshomaru… why the hell are you sneaking on me like that?!" she screamed, angry rather at herself, that she didn't notice him earlier. How long was he standing here, anyway?

The demon glared at her, his face remained stoic as usual.

"This Sesshomaru does not sneak. You are the one, who is not aware of the surroundings." He said coldly, making Mai even more angry. God, she nearly forgot how infuriating he was! The demon looked at her for a brief moment and turned around. "Let us return."

The girl stared at the demon, who slowly began walking away, limping slightly. What did he think, that she was his servant? No way! She would wrap him up for the last time and get the hell out of here! Hopefully he would faint again. However, a small voice in the back of Mai's head said, that the chances for that were slim, considering, that he managed to walk all the way here on his own. She sighed and went after him to the cave.

Once in the cave, Sesshomaru sat down and glared at her. The girl sighed, knowing what he wanted. She grabbed the first-aid kit and began examining his wounds. All except the biggest one were healed already and even the huge slash across Sesshomaru's chest was looking much better now. The wound was closed, didn't bled at all. Mai cursed in her mind, as she was wrapping the bandage around the demon's torso. She thought, that it will take him longer to heal. Now it can be too late for escape.

"Done." The girl announced. Sesshomaru didn't even spare a glance for her – he laid down on his white fur, closing his eyes. Mai pouted at his ungratefulness.

"You could at least thank me." She said angrily to the demon, packing the first-aid kit.

"There is no need." He retorted, not bothering even to open his eyes. Mai glared at him. She didn't believe it! She saved his life, nursed back to health and he insists on being such a jerk?!

"I'm not your servant or slave to talk back like that!" The girl shouted at him, clenching her fists. Her sudden outburst caused the demon to open his eyes and glance at her.

"You are my property." He stated calmly. Mai's eyes widened. Property? That was too much.

"You pompous jerk! I saved your sorry ass and you keep insulting me?! Where is gratefulness! I should have left you here to rot!" she began, ignoring that he narrowed his eyes and growled at her as a warning. "You really deserve to die, you arro… gah!"

Mai yelped, as Sesshomaru's clawed hand darted, grabbing her wrist and pulled it abruptly. The next thing she knew, was landing on her back on the hard cave floor, with Sesshomaru pining her to the ground with the weight of his body. When she realized her position, she tried to wriggle herself out from underneath him, but the large frame of the demon held her in place.

The demon glared at her furiously.

"How dare you speak of gratefulness to me, human? It is you, who should be grateful that this Sesshomaru let you live. Know your place!" He hissed to her ear. Mai wanted give him a witty reply, but she realized, that she was in no position to talk back to him right now. Apparently, he wanted to show her his dominance and she had to admit, that he did it damn well. She was scared out of her wits.

Mai didn't move for a while, trying to avoid Sesshomaru's eyes and to free herself somehow. She felt, that his weight was crushing her, not to mention the awkward feeling at the touch of her bare skin against his. The demon finally pulled back a little, enough to let her breathe freely, but kept glaring at her.

"Did you understand?" he asked. Mai returned the glare and gritted her teeth. She hated to admit, that she was defeated.

"I get it, just get off me!" she snapped, but he didn't budge. Mai inhaled deeply. "I understand, that you are the boss." She said. The demon looked at her for a while, considering her reply and rolled of her, resting his body back on the white fur. The girl sat up, furious at the sadistic bastard, who looked so pleased with himself. Prepare yourself, Sesshomaru! You might have won the battle, but not the war.

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**Trick or treat! Comment!**


	40. Inuyasha's decision

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Thank you all for your support (virtual hug). I wanted to upload this chapter yesterday, but I fell asleep while writing. About the fluffy moments, hold on guys, you have over 40 chapters more to read…**

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**Chapter 40**

**Inuyasha's decision**

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The next morning…

Mai rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms. The sleep deprivation was killing her. She spent the whole night on some kind of staring-contest with Sesshomaru. With him being a demon, the girl was at obvious disadvantage. Mai kept herself awake waiting for him to fall asleep, faint, drop dead, anything that would enable the escape. She berated herself for being so stupid and waiting till he gets better. Now he was all healthy and back to his charming self – with his "obey me or die" attitude.

The girl wanted to sneak out of the cave, but every time she moved during the night, he opened his eyes and glared at her. Even now she could sense his stare on her back. Mai brought her knees to the chest as her stomach rumbled. She didn't realize till now, how hungry she was. Yesterday she ate only two mushrooms. She turned her head, when she heard a noise behind her.

Sesshomaru stood up and ripped the bandage on his chest. Now only a slight mark was in the place of the terrible wound, a mark, that will probably disappear till sunset. He fastened his white fur on the shoulder, and the swords by the hip, looking for his clothes and armor.

"It's all ruined." Mai offered an explanation, pointing at the shattered pieces of black armor, lying in the corner of the cave. Sesshomaru shot a quick glance towards them and stalked to the girl. She looked up and yelped, when the demon grabbed her arm and pulled her upwards. Acting on instinct, she began to struggle him, as he led her towards the entrance o the cave, but she was weak from hunger and didn't put up much of a fight.

When Sesshomaru dragged her out of the cave, he stilled, turning his head abruptly in eastern direction. He let go of Mai's arm and grabbed the hilt of Tokijin. Instinctively, the girl hid herself behind his back. Carefully, she peeked to see what caused the demon to react so. Some youkai? Naraku?

She saw two shaped flying towards them. She squinted her eyes to discern them and her eyes brightened.

"Inuyasha!" she called happily, waving her hand. God bless the hanyou! She was saved!

Mai's hand stilled, as Sesshomaru sent her angry glare over his shoulder. It might have been too early to celebrate the rescue. The girl noticed, that Rin and Jaken were also with Inuyasha. The hanyou jumped of Kirara's back and landed, unsheathing Tessaiga and assuming a battle stance.

The group landed and Ah-Un trotted to his master. Mai sent a threatening look to the dragon, but the beast glanced at her innocently. Jaken ran on his short legs.

"Sesshomaru-sama! You are all right!" the imp exclaimed. Rin jumped of Ah-Un's saddle and followed Jaken.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Mai, you're back!" the kid shouted and darted straight to the girl, putting her little arms around Mai in tight embrace. "I missed you so much, Mai!"

The girl hugged the child back.

"I missed you too, kid." She said, ruffling Rin's already messy hair. The child laughed happily and glued herself to the girl.

"Inuyasha." Said Sesshomaru with hatred, glaring at the hanyou. The half-demon clad in red kimono smirked at his older brother, looking at the youkai's injury.

"Feh! I see you got quite a beating, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha said and turned to Mai. "Mai, get yourself over here!"

The girl freed herself from Rin's grasp, ignoring the child's protests and slowly made her way towards the hanyou, not losing Sesshomaru of her sight. The demon followed her with his eyes, visibly pissed, but did nothing to stop her. Apparently he still wasn't in state to fight Inuyasha. Mai finally reached the hanyou's side.

"Did he do anything to you?" Inuyasha asked Mai. The girl shook her head.

"No, I'm fine." She answered. The hanyou furrowed his brows and sniffed her, searching for the scent of blood, but found none. He didn't see any visible injuries either. Inuyasha arched his eyebrow, as though he was surprised. "He didn't try to kill you?"

"Not really." Mai shrugged her shoulders. Well, she told him the truth – however, she decided not to mention the little incident with Sesshomaru pining her to the cave floor – that was just too embarrassing.

Inuyasha looked at Mai for a while and then his attention turned to Sesshomaru. Finally the hanyou sheathed Tessaiga and sighed.

"Mai, sorry for that." He said to the girl. She opened her mouth, about to question him, what did he mean by that, but didn't make it, as Inuyasha grabbed her shoulders and violently shoved her towards Sesshomaru. The girl gave out a small surprised cry and stumbled. She would have fallen, but the demon swiftly grabbed her by the waist, supporting her. Shocked, she stared at Inuyasha. Why would he toss her to Sesshomaru?

"Inuyasha!" Miroku shouted, running towards the hanyou. The demon-slayer did the same.

"What did you do, Inuyasha?" Sango questioned him, surprised by Inuyasha's action. The hanyou sighed and looked at Mai with determination.

"Mai, from now on Naraku knows that you are important for us and will try to kill you. You are already involved in the fight against him and your life will be in a constant danger. I can't protect both you and Kagome. Stay with Sesshomaru, he will keep you safe." Inuyasha told her seriously and turned to his companions. "Come on, we're going back."

Mai stared at the hanyou dumbfounded for a longer while, almost oblivious to the fact, that she was still tightly pressed against Sesshomaru's chest. Did Inuyasha just give her to the demon? She couldn't believe it! The hanyou was supposed to save her, not happily shove her to the sadistic bastard!

"Inuyasha!" she screamed, clawing at Sesshomaru's hand, that held her tightly. "Don't leave me with him! Inuyasha!"

The hanyou turned his head away from her and walked over to Kirara. Mai stopped struggling, when she finally understood that he really didn't have any intention of helping her.

"Miroku, Sango, come on." Inuyasha said quietly, ushering his companions on Kirara.

"Don't leave me." Mai whimpered, as the tears began welling in her eyes. She counted on their help and now they were abandoning her like that?

Miroku and Sango hesitantly mounted Kirara and Shippo tried to argue with Inuyasha, but the hanyou sent him a warning look, that made the little fox, demon silent. Before climbing on the cat-demon's back, Inuyasha turned around.

"Sesshomaru, take care of her." He said and jumped on Kirara behind Miroku. The cat-demon leaped into the sky and Mai watched, as they vanished into the clouds, leaving her behind. Mai broke in tears. She just couldn't believe it – how much bad luck can one person have? Now, she would die as Sesshomaru's servant!

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**Comment! I think, that I'll be posting another chapter today, because this was kind of short and I got so many reviews from you yesterday (hyper and happy, has the motivation back), that you deserve more!**


	41. Truth or dare

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: THANK YOU! I love you guys, seriously. Here's another chapter as promised.**

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**Chapter 41**

**Truth or dare**

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Mai felt the demon releasing her from his grip. The girl wiped her tears and looked at him. The youkai glanced at her for a moment and turned to Jaken.

"Jaken! Fetch the woman food." He commanded sharply and the green imp ran to the woods. The demon scanned the girl up and down critically, went to Ah-Un and retrieved something from the travelling bag. He turned to the girl and tossed her a piece of fabric. Mai looked at it and gasped, recognizing one of her kimonos.

"Wear it." He said shortly. "I will not have you dress in such an unsightly attire."

Mai looked down at her pink dress, she got from Kagome, shrugging with her shoulders. She folded her arms.

"There's nothing wrong with it." She said stubbornly, set on making Sesshomaru's life as difficult as possible from now on. To her surprise, the demon didn't growl at her or even glare angrily. Instead he approached her and grabbed the dress on her chest. Mai was about to scream at him, but she heard the sound of ripped fabric and stared down. Dumbfounded, she observed as he ripped the pink dress in shreds, exposing her underwear. Mai yelped and desperately covered herself with her hands.

"What are you doing?!" She shrieked. However, the demon's face was stoic as ever. He handed her kimono once more.

"Will you wear it now?" he asked calmly. Mai, her face bright red, snatched the clothes and covered herself with them. She stared at Sesshomaru, so shocked, that she wasn't even able to scream at him. How messed up he was? The girl had a hunch, that her life will be much more difficult from now on.

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When Jaken returned with some fruit, Sesshomaru set off, telling his group to wait, putting emphasize on not escaping. Mai sighed. She didn't even had a place to run off to – the well wouldn't let her through, Inuyasha wouldn't help her and on top of that Sesshomaru always could track her down. Wait…

Mai reached out for her neck and made sure that the pouch with herbs was still in place. Right, that thing could mask her scent for couple of months. Brilliant. Now, where should she escape? Kaede's village was out of question – Inuyasha would probably walk her back to his brother.

The girl took another bite of a melon, when Rin distracted her from developing the master plan.

"Mai, did you read the letter? And did you see the picture?" the child asked, staring at Mai with puppy eyes, waiting for a praise.

"Sure. I'm very proud of you, Rin. You have a talent." The girl said, making the kid grin widely. Rin insisted on showing her all the drawings the child made while Mai was away. In the meanwhile Jaken summarized their adventures during the past two months. Short before nightfall Sesshomaru came back, clad in his usual attire and armor. Mai wondered, where did he get exactly the same ones, but she had to climb on Ah-Un, along with Rin, and depart.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" Jaken asked, trotting to his master. "Where are we going Sesshomaru-sama?"

The demon didn't answer. He kept walking in silence. Then, to Mai's surprise he spoke.

"We are going to retrieve a weapon." He said, smiling. Jaken shrieked, terrified. One was sure – something horrible will happen.

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**Meanwhile…**

Kagome jumped into the well. Once on the other side, she climbed up, cursing the heavy backpack. If only Mai didn't insist on bringing her so much books! Panting, she crawled out of the well, tossing the yellow backpack on the ground.

"Kagome! Kagome!" she heard a child's voice and lifted her head, noticing Shippo, who was darting towards her. She waved to the little fox-demon.

"Hello, Shippo-chan!" she called.

"Kagome." Panted Shippo, as he finally reached her. "Kagome, there is a problem."

The girl furrowed her brows. What was that about? Naraku? Some rogue youkai? Kikyo, perhaps?

"It's about Mai." Shippo uttered finally. Kagome's eyes widened. Her friend was in danger?

"What happened, Shippo-chan? Is she hurt? Where is she?" she asked, gripping the kid. Shippo looked at her for a while, as though considering, which of the questions should he answer. He cleared his throat.

"She's fine, but she's with Sesshomaru right now." The little youkai answered.

"What?! Inuyasha let him kidnap her?" Kagome exclaimed, as she clenched her fist. She was away only for a few days and he lost her friend already? She will "sit" him till he reaches the core of the Earth.

"Umm…" Shippo hesitantly began explaining the situation. "She was kind of kidnapped, but… The Actually, it was Inuyasha who told Sesshomaru to keep her."

Kagome stared at the fox-demon, needing some time to grasp, what he just said, and felt anger welling in her. She gritted her teeth, grabbed Shippo and stalked towards the village.

It wasn't long before she reached Kaede's hut, where the hanyou and their two companions sat. When seeing her, Inuyasha stood up to greet her, but she glared daggers at him.

"Inuyasha." She said in the voice, that indicated that his end was near. "Osuwari!" she screamed atop her lungs.

The hanyou landed on the ground with a loud thud. He glared back at Kagome.

"Goddamit, what was that for?!" he yelled at the girl. She took a deep breath.

"You know – OSUWARI – what that – OSUWARI – was for! Osuwari!"

The group observed with fear, how Inuyasha was being slammed into the ground.

"I think, that Kagome-chan found out about Mai." Sango said to the monk. Miroku nodded.

"Inuyasha should have seen that coming." He added, as Kagome shouted another "osuwari".

The whole grouped sighed heavily.

"Inuyasha-sama!" they heard a familiar voice, but no one was to be seen. Kagome stopped tormenting Inuyasha and the hanyou laid face-flat in the dirt, groaning.

"It's good to see you, Inuyasha-sama!" the voice exclaimed again and the hanyou sat up, slapping his neck and examining his palm.

"It's Myoga-jiji! " exclaimed Shippo, pointing at the tiny flea-demon on Inuyasha's hand. The hanyou furrowed his brows.

"What are you doing here, Myoga-jiji?" he asked, rubbing the aching forehead. Myoga straightened his clothing and cleared the throat.

"I have come to ask for Inuyasha-sama's help." The whole group came closer to listen to the flea's tale. "Long ago, your honorable father defeated a fearsome enemy and sealed his weapon in the cave. However, the seal is about to break! Anyone, who touches the weapon could become possessed by your father's enemy's spirit!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Sounds awfully familiar. Another evil sword, Myoga-jiji?" asked bored hanyou. The flea shook his head.

"No, it's a spear this time." Myoga answered and scolded the half-demon. "It is a serious matter, Inuyasha-sama! The spear literally annihilates everything, that lives. If such a power is unleashed, no one will be able to stop the one, who wields it! We must destroy it before the seal is broken."

Inuyasha arched his brow, still not taking Myoga entirely seriously.

"Then how did the old man defeat that guy?" Inuyasha asked. The flea-youkai averted his eyes.

"Umm… I… don't really know." Myoga answered. Kagome sighed heavily.

"You ran away, didn't you?" she asked.

"Anyway we have to destroy the weapon, before a descendant of your father's enemy comes and begins wrecking havoc." Myoga stated.

"A descendant?" Miroku repeated. Myoga nodded.

"Yes, only a descendant can wield the spear. It has a barrier – if it hadn't, Inu no Taisho would wield it himself."

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Inuyasha, standing up. "Let's go!"

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**Elsewhere…**

"Mai!" called Rin. "Your turn."

"Okay." The girl answered. "Truth."

The child furrowed her brows, thinking of a question. "I've got it! Did you ever kiss a boy?" she asked. Mai smiled. That wasn't a troublesome one.

"Nope." She answered and smirked evilly. "Now you, snips. Truth or dare?"

"Dare." The kid answered bravely. Mai's grin widened. Now she will execute her plan to make Sesshomaru's life miserable – she will have her payback for the incident with the dress.

"Go to Sesshomaru and ask him, where do babies come from. And don't go back until he answers you." She whispered to Rin's ear. The child nodded and ran to the silver-haired demon.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin exclaimed, tugging his sleeve. The inu-youkai looked at the child.

"What is it, Rin?"He asked.

"Where do babies come from?" she asked the demon, staring at him with pure innocence in her chocolate eyes. Sesshomaru looked at the child for a while and then he averted his eyes. Mai cursed his unreadable face expression. He was silent for couple of minutes, having decided, that the best solution would be to ignore the child's question. However, Rin was persistent.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" she urged him to respond, tugging his sleeve again.

"Mai will tell you." He answered. Rin still stared at him expectantly.

"Mai said, that I should ask you." The child said. At the statement, Sesshomaru sent Mai a threatening glare, the one which said "your death will be long and painful." The girl smiled at him innocently, happy to have him pissed. Good thing, that she managed to get rid of Jaken – now Sesshomaru will have to answer.

"Woman." He hissed through the gritted teeth. Mai arched her eyebrow, inwardly rolling with laughter.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-_sama_?" she asked in mockingly polite voice, mimicking Jaken. The demon sent her an icy glare.

"You are to explain… those matters to Rin." He commanded harshly. Mai decided to play dumb.

"What matters, Sesshomaru-_sama_?" she asked with all cluelessness, she could manage. The demon kept glaring at her.

"You know which matters." He said, maintaining his composure. Mai tried not to burst in laughter.

"I don't know, what you are talking about. Perhaps you could enlighten me as well?"

Mai's head was turning from Sesshomaru to Mai and back to the demon. The girl saw, that the inu-youkai glared daggers at her.

"Sesshomaru-sama, tell us." Rin whined. The demon narrowed his eyes at the child.

"You are too young to know." He said quickly and was about to turn around, but Rin gripped the fabric of his haori.

"But Mai is old enough, right?" the kid asked. Sesshomaru stopped and looked at the child. Then he gazed into Mai's eyes and arched his eyebrow.

"Should I enlighten you tonight, Mai?" he asked in a low tone, that made Mai a shiver go down her spine. Whoops… it seemed, that her plan backfired again. She felt, that the blood was rushing to her face. Her cheeks burned.

"No need." She mumbled, looking away and struggling to control the blush with her willpower. Mai cursed Sesshomaru inwardly – he won again. She doubted, that she could ever beat the four hundred years of experience in being an ass.

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**Review! Pretty please…**


	42. Seekers of the lost spear

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: You're the best! Thanks for all the reviews. We have some action chapters ahead, so enjoy!**

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**Chapter 42**

**Seekers of the lost spear**

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"Jaken, are we there?" Mai asked, walking next to Ah-Un. The green imp folded his arms.

"How would I know?"

"Ask_ him_." The girl said, yawning. God, she was already fed up by all this marching.

"Respect Sesshomaru-sama, you human!" Jaken exclaimed. Mai only rolled her eyes. Jaken and his antics.

"Whatever. Just go and ask him!" Mai lost her patience.

"Why me? You wanted to know, so go on!" Jaken insisted.

"Mai, Jaken-sama…" Rin said quietly, but neither Mai nor Jaken paid any attention to her, busy arguing.

"Move your sorry ass, you green frog!" the girl exclaimed.

"You lazy human wench!" Jaken squeaked, waving with Nintoujou.

Both of them uttered an "ouch", when they collided with something big. Mai and Jaken slowly looked up, only to meet Sesshomaru's angry glare. They stayed still for a moment and then began the real commotion. Jaken kept bowing and apologizing and Mai was smiling sheepishly, pointing at the green imp as the one to blame.

"Forgive Jaken, Sesshomaru-sama!" pleaded the green imp, his forehead banging on the ground.

"It's his fault!" Mai was convincing.

"Enough!" Sesshomaru yelled. Jaken and Mai stopped immediately, as though paralyzed. Rin sighed quietly, shaking her head.

"I tried to tell you." She said.

"Are we there?" asked Mai finally. To her surprise, she got her answer from Sesshomaru – the demon nodded. The girl looked around. They were standing in front of a vertical stone wall. Confused, she looked at Sesshomaru. "Are you sure?

The dog-demon didn't answer. Hr reached with his hand to the wall. When he was about to touch it, the fragment of the stone wall sparked. Then, the demon pushed and his hand disappeared inside the wall.

"The barrier is weakened." Sesshomaru, said pulling back his hand. Mai stared with wide-opened eyes. She didn't see something like that before. Curious, she did the same. The girl felt slight tingling, as her hand passed through the barrier.

Encouraged by her example, Jaken and Rin came closer and tried the same, but both of them were rejected by the barrier. The kid let out a cry and Jaken squeaked.

"Sesshomaru-sama, the barrier is still strong." The green imp stated. "Why Mai was able to even touch it?"

The silence fell and Mai could feel everyone's stares at her. Sesshomaru approached her and stared her down.

"Why would the barrier accept you?" he asked quietly.

"How would I know?" Mai answered with a question, shrugging her shoulders. The demon was looking at her for a while and then he turned his attention to Jaken.

"Jaken, Rin, stay here." He commanded.

"What about me?" Mai asked, surprised, that he didn't mention her name. Sesshomaru grabbed her arm.

"You are coming with me." He replied and pushed her through the barrier.

Mai yelped and closed her eyes, as she felt her body tingling. When it stopped, cautiously, she opened her eyes. Sesshomaru was standing right beside her, gripping her arm firmly. They were in a cave of some kind. The walls and ceiling were covered in luminescent fungi, that lit the corridor. The place was beautiful in certain way, but also creepy. The demon released her hand.

"Stay close." He commanded and began walking deeper into the cave. Mai obediently trotted after him, not wanting to be left behind. Why she had to go with him? The girl had a hunch, that it wouldn't be the safest trip.

"Sesshomaru?" she spoke up, hating the silence, as they marched along the corridor. The demon wasn't saying anything. "What weapon are you looking for?"

"A spear." He replied shortly, not bothering to look at the girl. Mai rolled her eyes – what a detailed explanation!

"Sesshomaru, say something more!" she demanded.

"Be silent, woman." He said sharply in a tone, that indicated the end of the discussion. Mai folded her arms, not willing to give up.

"You were the one who insisted on dragging me a long! At least you should tell me into what mess are you getting me." She insisted, as she sped up to walk side to side with Sesshomaru. The inu-youkai didn't say a word for a while, when he finally opened his mouth.

"The spear belonged to my father's mortal enemy, a human named…."

"A human?" Mai interrupted, surprised, that a mere human could stand a chance against Sesshomaru's father. "This spear… is it more powerful than your Tokijin?"

"Hn." That was the only answer the demon gave her.

Mai took it as a "yes".

"Why do you want it so badly?" she kept asking.

"I seek more power." He replied, annoyed by her unending questions. Mai furrowed her brows. Wasn't he powerful enough already? The girl decided, that he was just being greedy.

"Why?" she asked. The demon gritted his teeth.

"My path is that of a conqueror." Sesshomaru explained to her with remaining patience. Mai looked at him. Conqueror? He wants to be Japan's emperor or something like that? As expected of a man with an ego of the size of the Pacific Ocean.

They were walking for about an hour in silence and Mai got extremely bored. As there was nothing else to do, she decided to bother Sesshomaru again.

"Sesshomaru?" she spoke up. "When you conquer everything, what will you do then?"

"Hn."

She looked at the demon. Oh, so he's avoiding answering. Mai sighed. As expected, the attempt of starting a conversation with him was a total failure. It would be like chatting with a wall – the only difference was, that walls don't tend to grip people's throats, when you say something they don't like. The silence fell again, Mai could only hear sound of water dripping from the cave's ceiling.

"What is your path, human?" Sesshomaru asked suddenly. Mai abruptly turned her head to gawk at him. He spoke! On his own! Well, that was a first.

"I want to…" she stopped, thinking how to put it so that he would understand. Tokyo University wouldn't tell him much, right? She tried again. "I always wanted to be a scholar."

Sesshomaru glanced at her.

"Do not be foolish. No woman can be a scholar." He stated. Mai stared at the demon. Great, not only was he a racist, but a sexist too? God, why she was stuck with someone like him?

"I would be a damn good one." She snapped, glaring at him furiously.

"Hn. Then why are you not?" he asked, clearly mocking her. Mai clenched her fists.

"Because I am your slave, you arrogant jerk! And I will probably die as one!" she shouted at him. The girl just couldn't bear all this crap. She turned her head to send Sesshomaru her best death-glare, but she yelped from fear instead, seeing that his eyes were red. Oh shit! She nearly forgot, how easy it was to piss him. She took a step back and smiled faintly.

"Sesshomaru, please, calm down. I didn't mean it…" she pleaded, hoping, that he wouldn't try to throttle her this time. The demon suddenly turned away from her. Mai let out a relieved sigh. Oh, thank go…

"Gah!" she yelped, as something white wrapped around her waist and she was knocked off her feet. Frantically, she looked down and gasped, seeing Sesshomaru's fluffy white fur around her. He wrapped her in that thing and flew along the corridor. Mai grabbed the fur tightly, noticing, how smooth it was.

When the ride was over, the white fur released the girl suddenly, sending her to the ground.

"Ouch!" Mai yelped as her butt made a contact with a hard cave floor. Then she lifted her head and gasped in amazement. The view was breathtaking. The cave was huge, she couldn't see the distant ceiling, even though there were also the luminescent fungi. The huge stalactites created natural pillars. In the middle of the hall was a statue of a man, a samurai, holding a spear. The spear was real, all jet black, including the blade. On the socle of the monument was something engraved. The enchanted girl went towards it, ignoring Sesshomaru and kneeled to read the inscription. She felt somewhat like Indiana Jones. It was so exciting!

"Do not touch anything." The silver-haired demon told her. Mai nodded her head, really not paying any attention to him. She concentrated on deciphering the inscription – the letters were so decorative, that it made them hard to read.

"Only the rightful owner of the spear will wield… bone of bone, flesh of flesh… the great darkness…" she read aloud. She squinted her eyes to read the mysterious character, when she saw a flash of light above her and heard a cracking sound.

"What the hell?!" she exclaimed and looked up. Sesshomaru was holding the spear and sparks were everywhere. Eventually, the demon backed his hand and the girl saw burns on the inner side of his palm.

"You know, if you asked me first, I would have told you, that there was barrier put on that spear. It is all written down here." Mai said rolling her eyes. The demon narrowed his eyes and pulled her on her feet, so that she could face him, more or less.

"What else did you learn about the barrier?" he asked, looking at the spear. The girl sighed.

"We can go back." She said, shrugging her shoulders. "According to the inscription, only a descendant of this man can wield the spear and you are obviously not the one."

Sesshomaru gritted his teeth and glared at Mai, as though everything was her fault. She placed her hands on the hips.

"It's not like any of us could do anything. Anyway, there's apparently some kind of nasty curse on it too. It's supposed to drain every drop of the blood of the man, who killed the previous owner."

The demon's expression softened a bit and he stepped back from the weapon.

"Is there a way to lift a barrier?" he asked the girl. Mai furrowed her brows. What the hell does he think? First, he mocks her dream to study and now he treats her like some barrier-expert. Today she saw the damn thing for the first time. However, she cleared the throat, ready to share, what she figured out this far.

"Nope, I doubt it. Just give up already! To cheer you up I'll show you, that I can't touch it either, okay?" she offered. Seriously, she wanted to get out of here already. To demonstrate, what she just said, she reached for the spear and tried to grab it. She closed the eyes, expecting some pain.

However, the pain didn't come and she closed her palm around the weapon.

"Eh?" she muttered, gawking at her own hand grabbing the spear. No sparks, no burns, nothing – as though the barrier didn't work on her the way it did on Sesshomaru. Slowly, she looked at the silver-haired demon. He was as surprised as her – his golden eyed widened in shock.

"Let go of the spear, woman!" he hissed to her. Mai tried to flex her fingers, but her own hand wouldn't listen. Oh god, she knew that feeling. She knew it too well. It felt the same when she was holding that wretched mirror, which transferred her soul.

"Sesshomaru, I can't." she whimpered, terrified. Her whole arm began feel numb and it was spreading. She gave out a small cry. "Help me!"

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**Please share what you think! I love to read it…**


	43. The descendant

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Thank you for still reading and commenting so much, you really make me feel that I'm writing this story not for myself. Anyway I hug you virtually! Have fun reading and be sure to review!**

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**Chapter 43**

**The descendant **

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"There it is, Inuyasha-sama!" exclaimed Myoga.

"Hatchi, land" Miroku said to his friend raccoon, on whom all of them were flying. Once landed, the whole group stared at the people, they didn't expect to see here.

"Jaken?" Inuyasha furrowed his brows at the sight of Sesshomaru's companions. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"It's not your business, Inuyasha!" the imp squeaked, waving with Nintoujou. The hanyou snatched and started tormenting him, as he usually did to Shippo.

"Tell me!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Ouch! Never!" Jaken responded. Kagome rolled her eyes at the sight. Miroku scratched his chin.

"We seem to run into them quite often lately." He said. Kagome and Sango nodded in agreement. The schoolgirl looked around, but her friend wasn't anywhere near. Neither was Inuyasha's brother. Kagome approached Rin.

"Hello, Rin-chan! Can you tell me where is Sesshomaru?" she asked politely with an encouraging smile. The child happily nodded.

"Sesshomaru-sama went through the barrier to get some weapon." Rin explained.

"And Mai?" Kagome asked.

"Sesshomaru took Mai with him. Jaken-sama and me couldn't get through the barrier."

"Who is this Mai?" asked the voice from Kagome's shoulders.

"It's just my friend, why do you ask Myoga-jichan?" the girl asked. Myoga the flea was about to answer, but Sango's voice interrupted him.

"Look!" the demon-slayer shouted, pointing at the stone wall. Everyone's heads turned in that direction, even Inuyasha stopped tormenting Jaken. One place on the stone wall started shimmering and then the illusion dissolved, showing the entrance to a cave.

"Right in time!" Myoga exclaimed, jumping from excitement. "The seal is broken. We must hurry, Inuyasha-sama!"

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"Help me!" cried Mai, trying to free herself from the spear, but her body didn't listen. One by one, each limb went numb, giving off the feeling, as though they didn't belong to her anymore. The girl was terrified. Why something like that happened again?!

Sesshomaru was near her in a heartbeat. The demon tried to grab the spear to pull it out of Mai's grasp, but the barrier was too strong for him to touch – the girl could smell the sickening stench of the burned flesh. Then he tried to flex her fingers by force, but Mai stopped him.

"Stop it, you'll rip my fingers of!" she screamed at him. The eerie feeling reached her chest now, she couldn't move her legs now. Suddenly, her arm moved on its own accord. It pushed Sesshomaru away with the spear's barrier. The demon gracefully jumped back and Mai's eyes widened. What the hell was going on?!

"It was not me!" she shouted, panicked. The numbness was at her throat now, causing difficulty breathing. Then Mai heard a voice.

_Do not fight it. Let it happen._ - A deep powerful voice resounded through the cavern. Mai searched with her eyes for its source, but she didn't find him. Who was talking? Maybe it's some kind of an illusion.

_Join me and together, we will gain power to rule the world, my daughter._ - The voice spoke up again. Join him? Who did he think she was? Some damn Luke Skywalker?

"Who the hell are you?!" she shouted, but instead of an answer, she heard only a dark laughter. Sesshomaru stared at her cautiously, narrowing his eyes.

"Woman, who are you talking to?" he asked. Mai gawked at him. He didn't hear the voice? So the voice spoke in her head… That can't be a good sign. She wanted to answer the demon, but her voice wouldn't come out. Now, she couldn't move at all.

_I will grant your wish to be free._ - The voice spoke again. "Let me free you from that demon, in whose veins flows the blood I hate. Let the hate engulf us and make us powerful."

Mai tried to blink an eyelid, anything, to warn Sesshomaru. The voice… it had to be the spirit of Sesshomaru's father's enemy and now it wanted use her for revenge. Terrified, she observed her arm lifting and pointing the weapon at the silver-haired demon. The skin on her face stretched, as though she just smiled maliciously.

"Die, Sesshomaru." Mai heard her own voice saying those words. The inu-youkai stared at her, genuinely surprised. If not the situation, she would enjoy the look on his face.

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"Die, Sesshomaru." The woman said with a malicious mile on her face. The voice was hers, but that could not be her. The eyes… were blank like those of the boy who tried to kill Rin. She was undoubtedly controlled by something.

Sesshomaru did not have time to think further, as the woman whirled around and attacked him with an amazing speed, for a human. In the last moment, she changed the direction of the blow, so that the demon barely managed to jump from her way. Those were the moves of a skilled warrior and she was not the one. Who was using her?

Suddenly, a menacing black aura began gathering around the weapon and the woman. It was the aura of pure evil – the one of death. She grinned at him.

"How ironic for the Inu no Taisho's son to die of the hand of a human girl." Mai said, lifting the spear and preparing to strike. Sesshomaru gritted his teeth and gripped Tokijin. He did not wish to harm the idiot woman, but he would defend himself. The both were standing in battle stances, string each other down. At the exact the same time, they moved.

"KAZE NO KIZU!"

"OSUWARI!"

Sesshomaru leaped sideways to avoid being struck by Inuyasha's attack. He turned his head to see the newcomers.

The hanyou and his companions barged into the cave, the half-demon himself now laying face-flat on the ground. He jumped on his feet and started arguing with Kagome.

"Goddamit! What was that for!" he yelled.

"You could have hurt Mai! Stop firing Kaze no kizu without thinking!" Kagome scolded him. Shippo tugged her hair.

"Kagome, about Mai, there's something wrong with her…" the fox-demon said, cowering at the sight of the dark aura.

Myoga the flea squinted his eyes and exclaimed.

"It's no good, Inuyasha-sama! You have to kill the girl!" the flea called to the hanyou. Inuyasha looked at him sharply.

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Kagome and Inuyasha in chorus. Myoga folded his arms.

"Now when she wields the spear, she'll become the destroyer of all life. The spirit of the previous owner possessed it and there is no way to free her now! You must kill her, before she kills us all."

The group flinched, as they heard laughter echoing through the cave. The one laughing was Mai.

"Kill the girl? That will not happen till I grant her wish." She said, grinning. Kagome furrowed her brows.

"The wish? What wish?" she asked. Mai turned away from them and faced Sesshomaru again.

"With Sesshomaru's death, her wish will be granted."

Mai struggled to regain the control over her body. What the hell was those wretched spirit making her do? She didn't want to fight Sesshomaru – we would kill her! Stop!

_You desire his death._

The voice inside her head again.

No, I don't! Let me out!

_Once Sesshomaru is dead, you will be free again._

I'll find the other way!

_You hesitate and yet you know, that he will kill you without a second thought. Kill him first._

I'm not like him! I'll won't kill him.

_Then I shall make you._

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Mai swished the spear and the evil aura started soak like a blood from the weapon into the ground. The black fluid disappeared, not leaving a mark.

"Everyone, get off the ground!" Myoga screamed. Miroku and Sango flew up an Kirara and Shippo transformed, lifting Inuyasha and Kagome. Sesshomaru jumped in the last moment to avoid a dark shape, that suddenly sprouted from the cave floor. Then, more began appearing.

"Hands!" shouted Shippo. The little fox-demon was right. Huge black hand-like shapes were sprouting from the ground and tried to capture any of them. Kirara dodged them gracefully and Shippo flew higher, under the ceiling. However, the shadowy hands weren't concentrating on them – they were rather keeping them from interfering.

On the other side of cave, Sesshomaru was in quite a trouble. The demon with his fast moves avoided the shapes. He tried to cut them with Tokijin, but the blade went through like through smoke, not harming them. Mai, engulfed in darkness, was slowly walking towards him. She smirked. The demon was acting according to the spirit's plan. Sesshomaru, in order to dodge the black shapes, was retreating towards the wall.

"It is over, Sesshomaru." Said Mai's voice, as the dark hands sprouted from the wall right behind the silver-haired demon and gripped him, wrapping tightly around his frame and slamming him against the wall.

"SESSHOMARU!" Inuyasha yelled, angry, that the shadowy hands blocked them from helping the demon or Mai.

Sesshomaru observed, as Mai approached him, the demon was not able to move any limb. The girl lifted the spear and pointed the blade at his throat.

"Goodbye, Sesshomaru." She said and delivered a blow.

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**Comment! [makes puppy eyes]**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter: Goodbye, Sesshomaru  
**


	44. Goodbye, Sesshomaru

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: It continues! Read and write me what you think! And I love, how you keep supporting me.  
**

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**Chapter 44**

**Goodbye, Sesshomaru**

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"Goodbye, Sesshomaru."

"Mai, no!" Kagome screamed, as she saw her friend thrusting the spear. With loud scroop, the blade struck millimeters from Sesshomaru's neck. The demon didn't take his eyes from Mai's face. A single drop of sweat dropped of her face, as she gritted her teeth, using all the willpower to fight the spirit, that possessed her.

"Mai." Sesshomaru quietly said her name and the girl gripped the spear tighter, looking at him.

"Run." She managed to utter. The grip of the shadowy hands on Sesshomaru's large frame lessened a bit, allowing the demon to free himself. He leaped into the air and landed on the opposite side of Mai, so that now she was the one between him and the stone wall.

The girl struggled to maintain control over her own body, but the spirit was beginning to take over. She felt its rage and bloodlust.

_Kill him. Obey me._

No way! Great, another control-obsessed jerk. It seemed, that she was a magnet to guys like those. The spirit was in charge now, but she had a little bit of a control. Mai knew, that she had to think of something soon, before Sesshomaru realizes, that he would have to kill her. Think, girl, think! The spear was defeated once. What did Inu no Taisho use to defeat the guy?

Mai's body made a pirouette and charged at Sesshomaru, pointing the spear at him. The silver-haired demon ripped Tokijin out and blocked the blade, but the youkai's sword was pushed away from the spears dark aura, that seemed, as though it was not from this world.

In girl's brain something just clicked. The aura and the hands were solid and were not at the same time, as if they were beings not from this world. And what could cut things like that? The answer was right here, in her head. Mai thought intensely and she got it – the sword maker, Totosai, told her about such a weapon.

Sesshomaru skillfully dodged Mai's blow and attacked, forcing her to block with a spear and prevented her from using the dark aura or shadowy arms. The demon kept attacking the spear in order to snap in two, but with no avail – Mai's weapon was far more powerful than Tokijin.

When the blades clashed again, the girl forced the spirit to retreat from her mind and allow her a little bit of control. She tried to speak.

"… the other sword… you idiot…" she barely uttered through clenched teeth.

The demon retreated, jumping back and narrowed his eyed. Did the woman just speak to him? The other sword… Tenseiga. Hesitantly, he unsheathed it. The sword pulsed, as though it has its own heartbeat. The black arms darted in attempt to capture him and he swiftly slashed them with his blade. To Sesshomaru's surprise, the shapes dissolved and the woman, or rather the one, who possessed her, hissed from irritation. The silver-haired demon boldly rushed forward, slashing the shadowy shapes along the way. He whirled around and the blades clashed again. He circled around the woman, constantly making the weapons meet and not letting her escape from his attacks. Slowly, he was pushing her towards the corner. The woman was furiously shouting and hissing at him, but he did not yield till her back met the cold stone wall. As he delivered the blow to the spear with all his might, the weapons flared – Tenseiga with blinding blue light and Mai's spear with the aura of pure darkness.

"You…" Sesshomaru said, as he noticed, that the woman's empty eyes came back to normal and stared at him with bewilderment.

"Sesshomaru!" she exclaimed, as the spear's weapon snapped in two and Tenseiga slashed her across her chest. The aura of darkness dissolved abruptly and the girl fell on Sesshomaru. The demon caught her with his arm, preventing her from falling onto the hard cave floor. She didn't move.

"Woman." The silver-haired demon said. Mai moaned something incoherently.

"Am I alive?" she mumbled, still hanging limply in the demon's grasp.

"Yes." Sesshomaru answered shortly. Mai sighed with relief.

"MAI!" Inuyasha yelled, darting towards them, with Kagome on his back. When they landed, the black-haired girl jumped off and ran to the demon, who was supporting her friend. Reluctantly, Sesshomaru let her examine Mai, whose legs were still wobbling.

"Are you hurt?" Kagome asked with worry in her voice. As the silver-haired demon released her from his grip, she stumbled forward and grabbed Kagome for support.

"I need an aspirin." Mai mumbled. Her friend smiled – Mai was okay!

"Sesshomaru-sama!" called Myoga, jumping from Kagome's shoulder on Inuyasha. "Congratulations, Sesshomaru-sama, you managed to obliterate the Dark Spear. How did you know to use Tenseiga?" asked the flea.

Sesshomaru averted his eyes.

"Hn." The proud demon did not intend to admit, that it was a human, who aided him in battle. Again.

"I told him." Mai offered the answer gaining everyone's attention and Sesshomaru's warning glare. "Sometimes I think that I'm the only one with a brain here." She said, swallowing the aspirin, Kagome gave her. God, every inch of her body ached – the spirit used her body to do some crazy acrobatics and her muscles never were made to work like that before. She looked for the one, who spoke earlier and saw a tiny figure on Inuyasha's shoulder, that looked like an old man.

"Umm… Who are you?" she asked him.

"I am Myoga the flea." He introduced himself.

"He's a terrible coward, but has quite an extensive knowledge." Kagome told Mai and turned to Inuyasha. "Can we go now?"

The hanyou nodded.

"Come on, Kagome." He said. Kagome rushed to him, grabbing Mai's hand and dragging her along.

When Sesshomaru saw his servant being taken away, he leaped towards the girls and gripped Mai's other hand, pulling the girl towards himself. However, Kagome didn't plan of letting go either.

"Mai is going with us, Sesshomaru!" Kagome stated firmly, glaring at the demon. Sesshomaru tightened his grip so, that Mai whimpered quietly, completely confused, what the hell those two were doing.

"Unhand my servant, miko." Hissed Sesshomaru, dangerously narrowing his eyes.

"I won't. You let her go!" Kagome insisted, tugging Mai towards herself. The brown-haired girl looked up at the demon and recognized the usual signs, that he will be extremely pissed in a minute. Didn't her friend notice it as well?

"Kagome…" she started, trying to warn the other girl, but she nearly bit her tongue off, as Sesshomaru pulled her forcefully, so that she slammed against his armor. "Ouch!"

"Inuyasha." Sesshomaru said to his younger half-brother. "Tell her to unhand my servant."

Inuyasha assessed the situation quickly.

"Kagome! Let go of Mai, leave her to Sesshomaru!" he shouted, fearing for Kagome's safety.

"I won't leave her with _him_!" the girl dressed in school uniform shouted back, still grabbing Mai's arm and trying to drag her away from Sesshomaru. The demon growled at Kagome warningly and Inuyasha made a decision. Swiftly, she leapt to the black-haired girl and grabbed her with one hand from behind. Ignoring her protests, with other hand, he forcefully flexed her fingers and jumped back with her in his arms. Mai, freed from Kagome's grasp, collided with Sesshomaru's armor and felt his hand wrapping around her waist, as though he wanted to prevent her from escaping.

"Take her." Inuyasha said to Sesshomaru shortly. The older of brothers nodded and leapt into the air, still holding Mai tight. Surprised girl yelped and wrapped her hands around him. As they were flying towards the exit, Mai heard Kagome's furious shouts becoming quieter.

"Osuwari! Osuwari! Osuwari!" Kagome's voice echoed throughout the cave.

When they flew out of the cave, Sesshomaru dumped Mai on Ah-Un's saddle and lifted Rin, placing the child in front of the older girl.

"We are going." He announced, leaping into the air. Jaken in the last moment jumped and attached himself to the end of the white fluffy fur. Ah-Un roared and followed its master, causing Mai to shriek in terror and desperately claw on the saddle.

"Mai, why do you have closed eyes?" Rin asked her cheerfully. Mai didn't answer – she was concentrating on controlling her fear of heights. She knew, that if she opened her eyes, she would panic completely.

"You are trembling so much!" the child exclaimed, stating the obvious. Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder at terrified Mai, who was shivering and clutching the saddle so that her fingers went white.

"Woman, soon we will land." He said and set his eyes back on where he was going.

"Okay." Mai answered, a little encouraged to somehow endure the flight. Was she looking so pitiful, that even Sesshomaru was being nice to her? Having the fear of heights sucked.

The flight wasn't a long one indeed – it lasted only about half an hour. Once finally having landed on a clearing in the middle of a forest, Mai slid of Ah-Un's back and laid down, happy to feel the solid ground at last.

"Jaken, set up a camp." Sesshomaru commanded and rested on the ground, leaning casually against a tree, staring at something distant. Jaken swiftly gathered the firewood and lit the fire, baking some mushrooms. Rin noticed some flowers nearby and ran off to pluck them.

Groaning, Mai sat up, still horribly sore and looked in the kid's direction. The child was entertaining herself happily. With the corner of her eye Mai noticed, that she wasn't the only one concerned about Rin's safety. She smiled, as she saw Sesshomaru casting brief glances at the kid from time to time. The girl laughed involuntarily, covering her mouth with the hand. Jaken and Sesshomaru stared at her.

"What's so funny, Mai?" Jaken asked. Mai shook her head.

"Oh, it's nothing." She answered, deciding it's best not to mention, that the silver-haired demon's behavior reminded her of her own father watching over little Mai many years ago.

Ensured, that Rin would be safe, she found herself a spot on the grass, that looked like the most comfortable and fell asleep instantly.

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**Omg, there will be something for the fluff-lovers in the next chapter! Quick! Send me your reviews so that I could post it as fast as possible.**


	45. The emerald hairpin

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Wow, I just finished writing an embarrassing chapter (definitely rating M in the future). Thanks for reviewing (luv you all) and please keep supporting me!**

**If you haven't reviewed the previous chapter, please do it and you'll get cookies.  
**

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**Chapter 45**

**The emerald hairpin**

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"Mai! Mai! Wake up!" Mai heard Rin's shouts and felt, that the child was tugging her. The older girl rolled on the other side, but the kid was persistent. Finally, she opened one eye.

"What?" she mumbled. Rin stared at her with her big chocolate eyes.

"Sesshomaru-sama said, we're leaving! Come on, Mai!" the child shouted, shaking her.

"Let me sleep." She mumbled and closed her eye, nearly falling asleep again. She felt someone tugging her again. She groaned, thinking, that it was Rin. Suddenly, Mai felt, that she was lifted from the ground by her obi. Her eyes snapped open, just in time to see Sesshomaru tossing her on Ah-Un's saddle. The demon cast her a cold look and marched away. Rin ran to her and was blabbering something, walking beside the dragon. Mai nodded from time to time, struggling to wake herself up. The girl sat up, thinking about the situation, she was in – back to being the arrogant jerk's servant. So far it wasn't that bad, considering that he threatened her seriously only once. Mai sighed heavily. It looked like she had to stay with the wretched demon for a longer while, till she figures out what to do next. Right! It was time to concentrate on the daily matters.

"Rin," she asked the child, interrupting some story about flowers. "Do we have any soap left?"

The kid shook her head.

"We used it up already." Rin said. Mai wondered what happened, that made the kid go anywhere near soap. Hmm… no soap… no normal baths… not good. She really hated the feudal era. Mai decided, it was the time to negotiate a few vital things – the soap was of utmost importance. She slid of Ah-Un's back and ran to Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru," she said, but the demon didn't made a sign, that he even heard her. Not that he ever did. "Sesshomaru, I need to buy few things – soap, food, that kind of things."

Mai stared at him, waiting for an answer, but the demon simply ignored her. The girl took a deep calming breath, careful not to blurt something, that would anger that asshole.

"Sesshomaru, this is important." She insisted, knowing that he wouldn't use his technique of ignoring her forever. "Sesshomaru…"

Finally, he looked at her – or rather glared.

"We will reach a human village soon. Now do not bother me." He snapped at her.

"Okay!" Mai answered and went back to Ah-Un, grinning happily, that she had the permission to go shopping today. Finally she was getting hang of how to make Sesshomaru do, what she wanted.

She hopped on Ah-Un, who roared, not particularly happy to carry her all the time.

"Oh, shut up, Ah-Un. I'll bring you carrots." She said to the beast, who turned his heads to gawk at her. That was the dragon's weakness.

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Sometime later, Mai discerned some buildings. That must be the village, Sesshomaru mentioned. When they approached it, it turned out, that it was rather a town.

"Great! I would use a new kimono!" Mai exclaimed, as all her old outfits were either lost or torn. She slipped from Ah-Un and marched to the silver-haired demon to get some of his money. Rin trotted beside her.

"Sesshomaru, I need money." Mai said, smiling sweetly. _Give me lots of gold, you rich bastard_, she thought at the same time.

"Sesshomaru-sama, Rin wants to go too!" the child exclaimed with the identical smile as Mai.

The demon stared at both of them, slightly bewildered by the sudden attack of the two females, who approached him making demands. The two pairs of puppy eyes looked at him. Even the demon such powerful as himself could not withstand the joined forces of Mai and Rin.

"Jaken." He finally said. "Stay here with Ah-Un."

Jaken nodded and Rin tugged Sesshomaru's sleeve.

"Sesshomaru-sama, can I go with Mai?" the child asked. The demon nodded and tossed a leather pouch to Mai. The girl caught it and grabbed Rin's hand.

"It's great, that Sesshomaru let you come along, isn't it?" Mai said to the child, who nodded vigorously, excited. "Come on, Rin."

Mai and the kid set off towards the buildings. However, she stopped after they walked a few meters and turned around to discover, that the silver-haired demon was following them. She furrowed her brows and stared at him. Sesshomaru walked past them and stopped as well to look back at Mai and Rin.

"Come, woman." He said.

"Eh?" Mai uttered. "Don't say you're coming with us?"

"I am." Sesshomaru replied seriously.

"But… it's a human village! And you are a demon!" Mai exclaimed, imagining what would happen if Sesshomaru came along. First, everyone would panic at the mere sight of him. Then, something would irritate him and he'd slaughter the whole population of the town. No, bringing HIM along definitely wasn't a good idea. Then something popped into Mai's head. "If you expect me to run away, that won't happen."

"Hn." Sesshomaru looked away. "You need my protection."

Mai stared at him. Protection, he says? She was perfectly capable of keeping Rin safe in the town.

"I can protect Rin on my own well enough." She responded. Sesshomaru arched his eyebrow.

"I was not speaking of Rin." He said.

Mai gawked at him. What the…

"Hey!" she cried in protest as the demon approached her in a heartbeat and grabbed her wrist. Sesshomaru, ignoring her complaints, set off, dragging the girl along. Rin happily skipped around him and gripped his empty sleeve with a contented smile.

"Let me go!" Mai argued, trying to wriggle her arm from his firm grasp, but the demon was ignoring her. She struggled for some time, before she decided, that he's not going to yield. She sighed and kept walking silently. Luckily, he was holding her wrist with his large clawed hand rather gently, not in almost bone-crushing way, as he used to. Mai felt her cheeks getting warmer. _Oh god, not again_ – she thought. Why does she always have to blush in situations like this?! All right, a man was technically holding her hand, but – it was Sesshomaru, the evil sadistic bastard Sesshomaru. There wasn't a reason to blush, but still… she was sure, that her face was bright red by now.

"Sesshomaru…" she spoke up quietly. "Can you please let me go?"

The demon glanced at her. Mai turned her face away from his, thinking, how awkward would it be if he saw her cheeks flushed like this. He could misunderstand or something like that. Finally, he released her wrist and Mai let out a breath, relieved. She quickly folded her arms to prevent him from grabbing her again and trotted by his side.

As they approached the town's gates, Mai noticed, that there was quite a commotion here. Busy people were walking fast, minding their business. Here and there she spotted a few aristocrats. Mai cast a doubtful look on Sesshomaru – no way he could pass as a human – his silver hair, golden eyes, demon markings and that fancy fur at the top of that. She sighed heavily and followed him. Rin squealed with excitement, as she had never been in such a big town. The kid was pointing everything with her finger and kept asking Sesshomaru questions, most of which he ignored or answered with his usual "Hn".

Suddenly Mai heard music and a large parade of men dressed as various youkai marched along the main street. It looked like it was a some kind of a celebration here. She looked at the tall demon and smiled. Good, at least he won't stand out. She would have only to watch that nothing pisses him.

Mai was so absorbed by the parade, that she didn't notice, as she bumped into Sesshomaru. The demon grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into the building. Mai looked around, confused. Apparently, the demon led them to a kimono shop.

He stalked towards a woman, that looked like a shop owner and stared her down.

"I want the best kimonos you have for the females." He stated in a commanding tone. The woman paled, as she looked at him and started trembling. _She must have recognized, that he was a youkai. Probably she saw his unnatural eye color or fangs_ – Mai thought. The terrified shop owner offered Sesshomaru to sit and had one of her servants make him tea, he didn't even touch. The several women were running frantically, searching for kimonos suitable for Mai and Rin. Both girls were also ushered to sit down and were seeping tea.

Finally, the women asked Mai and Rin to try on the kimonos. The older girl ushered Rin to go first. Quickly they picked up a few, that Mai liked the most. Then it was the older girl's turn. The shop owner helped Mai change behind a changing screen, her fingers trembling, as she was tying an obi.

"Calm down, he's not going to eat you." Mai whispered to the terrified woman, who looked at her with fear in her eyes and nodded. The girl sighed. Then the woman unexpectedly pushed Mai on the middle of the room to present her to Sesshomaru.

"Does it suit your liking, my lord?" the shop owner asked the demon. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes scanning Mai up and down with discontented look on his face.

"It must be green." He stated. The woman bowed and pulled Mai back behind the screen.

After a horribly long hour, Mai had three new kimonos, all in the shades of her favorite green. The women bowed deeply. The shop owner stepped forward.

"Thank you, for choosing my shop to purchase the kimonos, my lord." She said, still bowing. "Your wife and daughter look beautifully in them."

Mai and Rin stared at the woman's faux pas. She took the three of them as a family? No kidding! Mai started coughing from embarrassment and grabbed Sesshomaru's sleeve. She had to do something, before he annihilates the shop along with the people in it.

"We have to buy supplies, Sesshomaru. Come on." She ushered him gently out of the shop, successfully.

Without further problems, she managed to buy food, bars of soap, and drawing paper for Rin. Sesshomaru was quite a pain in the ass, glaring at the villagers, but at least Mai managed to coax him into carrying the bags by whimpering how weak and pathetic are humans in comparison with the youkai.

They were about to back, when Rin spotted a stall with shiny jewelry. Mai laughed, remembering, that in the childhood she couldn't walk indifferently near sparkling things either. She went over and together with child started to look at the items – hairpins, necklaces, bracelets.

"Mai, which one do you like?" the kid asked. Mai squinted her eyes and scanned all the shiny things. Then, she spotted a silver hairpin, decorated with beautiful emeralds, the one that looked really fancy. Mai sighed, thinking how high the price must be.

"This one, but I bet it's too expensive." She whispered to Rin. "Come kid, time to go."

Mai began walking away, holding Rin close. She expected Sesshomaru to be beside them, but he wasn't. Panicked, that he'd kill someone if she didn't look, she whirled around to search for him. And there she saw the demon – at the jewelry stall.

"Tree golden coins." The seller stated firmly, but whimpered from fear a while later, as Sesshomaru stared at him with his demonic red eyes.

"It's for free!" the man exclaimed, backing away. Calmly, Sesshomaru grabbed the small item and walked to the girls. Mai had to admit, that he was naturally gifted, when it came to bargaining.

Mai widened her eyes, surprised that he came straight to her, standing so close, that she felt uncomfortable. The demon gently combed her hair with his claws and tucked something in them. Then he turned around and walked away. Dumbfounded girl slowly lifted her hand to her hair to feel, what he placed in them.

"Mai, Sesshomaru-sama got you the hairpin, you wanted!" the child exclaimed, grabbing her sleeve and dragging her towards the demon. Mai followed the girl, still confused. What the hell was that?! Either she was imagining things or Sesshomaru was being extremely nice to her – so nice, that it was beginning to be suspicious. Why would he buy the expensive jewelry for her? She could understand the kimono – it was useful – but not the hairpin.

When they reached Sesshomaru, cheerful Rin grabbed Mai's hand and Sesshomaru's sleeve, walking between them. Mai felt herself blushing again. Damn, they really looked like they were on some happy family trip.

"Sesshomaru…" Mai began, avoiding looking at him. "Thank you for the hairpin. I really like it." She uttered, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

The demon didn't spare her a glance either.

"Hn." He mumbled.

Mai was walking in silence, trying to think about other things, when she remembered something.

"Crap! I forgot the carrots!" she exclaimed and freed herself from Rin's grip. She looked at the demon. "Sesshomaru, I have to buy them, I promised Ah-Un. I'll just run to the market and be right back, okay?"

The demon nodded, granting her permission to get the vegetables. Mai hiked her kimono and ran to the market.

Once by the vegetable stall, she quickly told the seller to pack a couple of big carrots. She was waiting for the fat man to wrap them up, when she heard a familiar voice.

"Amayami-hime?" asked a male voice. Mai whirled around as she heard it and gasped from surprise.

"Shinji?"

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**So, what do you think? Write me in your comment.**

**If you want to know today, what will Mai decide, send me a lot of your reviews and I'll brace myself to proofread it before going to sleep. **


	46. The paths part

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: I'm going to sleep. Please review… I feel somewhat evil.**

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**Chapter 46**

**The paths part**

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"Shinji?" Mai asked, surprised to see the young samurai here. The man also stared at her with disbelief.

"You are alive." He stated with relief, smiling widely.

"I…" Mai didn't know, what she should say to him. "I have to go now." She said flatly and turned around to go. However, before she even made a first step, she felt Shinji's hand on her shoulder. She glanced at the young man, her friend.

"Amayami-hime, you are still in the youkai's captivity, are you not?" He asked with concern all over his face. Mai didn't respond, but her silence was enough for an answer to him. "Come with me, I will protect you from him! You don't have to be his prisoner anymore."

Mai set her gaze on her feet. Escape? Now? Earlier she planned to run away, she had almost everything prepared, she lacked only an opportunity. And now it presented itself. Logically thinking, escaping with Shinji was perfect – she would be relatively safe in the Asakura castle and undoubtedly well treated. The herbs still masked her scent from both Sesshomaru and Naraku – and she was almost sure, that the last one didn't know about the castle. She would be safe there and could lead quite a normal life. If she wanted ever to escape, she had to do it now. That was what she wished, and yet…

Mai unknowingly touched the silver hairpin, hesitating. Making this decision was harder than the last time. She would miss Rin, Jaken and Ah-Un… she couldn't just forget, that Sesshomaru risked his life to save her again. And today he was really kind for Rin and her too…

"Amayami-hime!" Shinji hurried her.

Mai furrowed her brows. It wasn't so bad being with Sesshomaru, but what would happen to her if she decided to stay? She will probably continue to serve him like Jaken till the day she dies of the old age, unable to find a man, she would love, marry him, have children – just lead a normal life. No… she won't end like Jaken, she will live like a normal girl.

"Shinji." She lifted her head, having made a decision. "I will come with you."

The young samurai nodded and led her to his escort. They mounted the same horse, Mai behind Shinji. As they rode away from the town, accompanied by a dozen of samurais, she felt a stab of guilt in her heart. Did she do the right thing?

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Sesshomaru wanted to frown, disgusted by the stench. The scents of humans, domesticated animals and other filth mixed, irritating his youkai sense of smell. The woman was taking her time, making him and Rin wait in the middle of human town. Annoyed by just being in such place, the demon grew restless, not being able to track the insolent woman. With his nose he could find her scent among multitude of others, but she kept masking it with some herbs. Why did he let her keep them anyway? There was no need for her to hide her presence from the youkai, now when he was there to protect her.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin spoke up, averting his attention from the thought of the idiot woman. "Maybe we should look for Mai? Maybe something happened to her?"

Without a word, Sesshomaru set off and the little girl trotted right behind him. Rin could be right. It was highly possible, that the woman got herself involved in some dangerous situation again. The mere thought of someone harming the woman made the demon restless – why would it not? – she was his servant after all, a useful one, and Sesshomaru prized the things, he could had use for. He even decided to reward the idiot woman with the piece of jewelry, she desired, for aiding him in battle again. There was no other reason. The inu-youkai cursed inwardly, as he recalled her charmingly flushed face, when he gave the hairpin to her. Why must such a pathetic human linger in his thoughts?

Focusing on track Mai down, Sesshomaru followed the scents to the place, where she bought vegetables earlier. However, there was no sign of the girl anywhere.

"Sesshomaru-sama, I'll ask, if the seller saw her." Rin offered and Sesshomaru nodded. The child ran towards the stall.

"Excuse me, mister!" she called. "Did you see my friend? She is a pretty lady in a green fancy kimono!" Rin asked the seller. The fat man scratched his oversized belly, deep in thought.

"Hmm… I think, there was a woman like that here. She was buying carrots here." The seller remembered. Rin gawked at him and Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.

"What happened with her after that? Please, help us, we lost her!" Rin exclaimed, worried.

"She walked away with a young man." The seller answered, shrugging his shoulders. Rin gasped and Sesshomaru cast the seller an angry look. In a heartbeat, the demon found himself by the fat man and grabbed his neck, effortlessly lifting the seller of the ground.

"Did she go willingly?" he asked calmly. The fat man kept struggling desperately, unable to free himself from Sesshomaru's grip. The villagers around noticed the situation and began to run away in panic.

"DID SHE GO WILLINGLY?" the demon bellowed, repeating the question. The fat man widened his eyes.

"Yes." He answered at last. Sesshomaru growled, infuriated and threw the seller across the stall. Panicked people were running from his way, when he was stalking from the town, his powerful demonic aura swirling around him. Rin trotted a few steps behind him, a little bit scared but the inu-youkai's reaction. The child thought, that now Mai was done for.

The demon felt pure wrath. The wretched woman planned this all along – masking her scent, lowering his guard with this innocent face of hers. How a demon like him could let himself be deceived by a human? Sesshomaru gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.

If he ever meets her, he would do, what he should have done all along – this Sesshomaru would put an end to the woman's miserable life.

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Mai cursed, as she felt, that she would have nasty bruises on her butt from the crazy horse ride. Shinji and his samurais were galloping for long hours, even after the nightfall. Finally, her friend ordered to stop for the night. Relieved Mai jumped of the saddle. After the camp was set, she sat with the young samurai by the fire. It was quite awkward meeting him after over three months. She couldn't not notice, that he was staring at her with pity and worry.

"Amayami-hime," he started. "I can only imagine, how hard the captivity must have been on you."

"Umm… Not really." Mai answered, according to the truth. Right, there were many tough moments, fights and kidnappings, but it's not that she was chained to the wall in some damp dungeon for the three months. Almost instantly Mai scolded himself. If she was going to steal the princess's identity, she must behave in character. She made an unhappy face. "Actually, it was horrible. I'm happy, that you saved me, Shinji."

The young man smiled sheepishly and averted his gaze. In the light of the fire Mai couldn't tell for sure, but she was almost certain he blushed.

"It's my obligation, Amayami-hime…" he mumbled. Mai sighed – the girl almost forgot how wishy-washy her friend was. She decided to change the subject.

"Those men, are they under your command?" she asked pointing at the samurais. Shinji nodded.

"Umm… yes. I am the Lord's general now." He boasted. "Some things changed, while you were away."

"Oh? What's new?" asked Mai, thinking, that it would be the best to gather some information before the arrival in the castle. Shinji scratched his chin.

"I think, that the most important matter is that Kaga province declared war upon Echizen." He said. Mai furrowed her brows, trying to recall the lectures of Aiko and history classes.

"Kaga? So you mean the Maeda clan. Isn't that Gorouza's family?" she asked, surprised, that the clan of the princess's fiancé would want to attack the former allies. Shinji nodded, casting a wary look at the girl.

"Yes, it is. After Lord Gorouza was killed in the youkai's attack, his uncle declared war. He blamed the Asakura family for this, saying that there was the plot to assassinate the young lord and that you, Amayami-hime, was working together with the demon. Of course no one in Echizen believes that."

"Oh. That's bad." Mai commented on the political situation. She was wondering, what Lord Asakura was going to do with that.

"Tomorrow new lord will be proclaimed." Shinji continued. "He is the younger brother of Lord Gorouza and is rumored to be a gentle and wise man. All hopes lie within him - he will arrive shortly to your father's castle to negotiate the truce."

It seemed, that the human world wasn't any different from this of the youkai in the era of warring provinces – this weren't exactly the peaceful times. Mai sighed heavily. Hopefully she would be able to find happiness despite the turmoil.

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**You didn't expect that comming, did you? Please comment!**


	47. The surprise in the Asakura castle

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: I feel so guilty… but I'm glad, that I got you surprised. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Please send me more, because there will be a shocker in the next chapter!**

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**Chapter 47**

**The surprise in the Asakura castle**

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In the morning Mai, with the escort of Shinji and his men, reached the castle of her fake father. The girl repeated to herself, that she has to act as a princess from now on. The young samurai led her to the castle to meet Lord Asakura.

"Just imagine the faces of everyone, when they see you." Her friend whispered to her, excited. When they reached the door to the great hall, Shinji announced himself and Mai.

"Hiroyoshi Shinji and … Amayami-hime." He said in a loud voice. The door opened and they walked inside. The lord furrowed his brows and with dangerously angry expression he turned around, looking at the newcomers.

"What is the meaning of…" he started bellowing, but stopped in midsentence, as he noticed Mai. "Amayami, my child!"

The daimyo rushed to her and grabbed her shoulders, looking at her with teary eyes.

"My beloved daughter is back." He said quietly, joy in his voice. Mai smiled at him shyly, feeling sorry for the man – his real child was killed by a truck.

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The next two weeks were like a dream. Everyone insisted on spoiling Mai, who was a miraculously saved princess. She had to endure the lord, who was in tears, every time he saw her and Aiko, who was hugging her without a break. Shinji also benefitted from all the commotion – he got a couple of villages as a reward for bringing the princess back. Mai began to accustom anew to the situation and discovered, that she quite liked it. True, she missed Rin and all her friends, but at least she was blissfully free from dominating jerks, Naraku and suspicious weapons, who were trying to possess her. She thought, that she could get used to living like that. Maybe in time she would meet a dashing young daimyo and date him – in this times it was called courting – as Mai remembered correctly. At least her life would be Sesshomaru-free.

She walked out of her rooms, after she managed to dress herself. The girl yawned – she was reading all night by the light of the candles and was sleeping off till afternoon. The advantage of being a miraculously returned daughter was, that she could do anything she wanted. She looked around the castle, but the place was oddly empty. Even the servants weren't polishing the floors, as they always did.

Then, she saw Aiko stalking down the corridor. Mai narrowed her eyes at the target and approached the old crone.

"Aiko, where's everyone?" she asked.

"The new Lord Maeda arrived today and your father takes part in negotiations of the truce." The woman informed her. Mai clenched her fists. They didn't happen to inform her about something as important. Aiko scanned the girl up and down.

"I see, that you are properly dressed." She commented with a pleased smile, seeing her pink kimono. She critically touched Mai's hairpin with emerald. "But better get rid of it, it doesn't suit the pink."

Mai mechanically slapped her hand.

"The hairpin stays." She said stubbornly. Somehow, she was unable to part with it, even though it was Sesshomaru who gave it to her. The piece of jewelry reminded her of the nice day, they spent together with Rin.

Aiko sighed.

"If you insist… Come, Amayami, you must be presented to Lord Goemon."

"Goemon?" Mai asked.

"The new Lord Maeda." Aiko explained. Mai nodded and followed the old crone.

The both women passed through the large crowd, who gathered in the other part of the castle. Soon the two men came out through the main door. One of them was Lord Asakura and the other one must have been that Goemon or how was he called. She put on her most princess-like expression and stared at her feet, as a well-bred lady would.

"Lord Maeda, this is my daughter, Amayami-hime." She heard her fake father say.

"I see what my brother saw in you, my lady. You are a beautiful flower." Said a husky voice. Mai lifted her face to look at the man and nearly gasped. He looked a lot like a Gorouza, true, but instead of a smile plastered across the face, the man had a gentle expression. His brown eyes were gazing softly into her own. The man was dressed in fine silk, but the clothes were rather plain, not so flashy as Gorouza's.

"Amayami." Her fake father scolded her. Mai snapped back to the reality and realized, that she was gawking at the handsome guy the whole time.

"It is pleasure to meet you as well." She said, just as a princess would. The man gazed into her eyes and smiled at her sincerely.

"I will wait eagerly to speak with you again, princess."

Lords Asakura and Maeda left after that to refer the terms of the truce to their advisors. Mai had to stand in the place all the time with Aiko at her side.

"Lord Goemon is a fine man." Aiko stated, looking at Mai, who mumbled something as an answer. "He would be a appropriate match for you."

"I suppose." Mai uttered, thinking what an impact on her had the man. Well… he was dashing after all.

The old crone turned her head and noticed something.

"Amayami, he is coming this way!" Aiko whispered.

Mai also turned her head and saw, that the young lord was approaching. She smiled politely at him and he offered her a charming smile in return.

"Amayami-hime, would you accompany me on the walk in the gardens?" he asked boldly. Mai felt her cheeks blushing. Oh god, was it like asking her out. She only managed to nod and went with him, cursing her body for how stiff it was with nervousness.

She was walking beside him along the alleys, with Aiko lurking from afar. The man was surprisingly easy to talk to, putting aside Mai's nervousness. Every time the girl said something, he would listen carefully, his own stories were also interesting. The guy was perfect – nice, charming and handsome. In a nutshell – he was the complete opposite of Sesshomaru, putting aside the looks. Mai never thought about this before, as she considered the demon only as her hellish boss, but she had to admit, that he was devilishly handsome. Especially with bare chest. Mai felt her face flush at the memory and she scolded herself mentally. It must be some damn hormones. Going back to Goemon, he was gentle and understanding and Sesshomaru had always this aura of raw power around him. Goemon's eyes had soft expression in them, very different from the golden ones, unyielding and cold. Why the hell was she thinking about the sadistic bastard anyway? Mai cursed Sesshomaru from distracting her from her very first date in life.

"Amayami-hime, are you all right?" Goemon asked her with concern. Mai smiled faintly and nodded. How could she even think about the inu-youkai, when he killed Goemon's brother?

"Umm… Goemon-dono, I am sorry about the death of your brother." She said. The lord saddened.

"I miss him, but nothing could bring him back. I heard what the people talk in Kaga, but I know, that this was not your fault, Amayami." He said. Mai stared at her feet. Actually, it was her fault. If she hadn't befriended Rin, Sesshomaru wouldn't have slaughtered all those people, including Gorouza.

"My brother sacrificed his life trying to save you. To die in a battle, fighting to protect the one you love, is an honorable death for a samurai. I only wish, Gorouza would have succeeded… You must have been subjected to a horrible fate, princess."

Mai nodded slowly, thinking, what she should say to him. After all she spent the two months in Kagome's house and that could hardly count as a horrible experience. Being Sesshomaru's servant had some serious drawbacks, but saying that she had to babysit the demon's ward just didn't sound terrible enough.

"Well, it was terrible, simply horrifying." She answered.

"The demon, who kidnapped you… what he was like?" Goemon asked her.

"He…" Mai wondered how should she describe Sesshomaru in a nutshell. He wasn't an average mindless beast, that enjoyed slaughtering people. He was chasing Naraku – that was rather a positive goal. He had this domination issue of his, but on the other hand, he always protected Mai and the rest of his group. He had a horrible attitude, but it wasn't worth mentioning. Why the hell couldn't she say something really bad about Sesshomaru right now?!

"I don't want to talk about this." Mai told Goemon finally.

"Let's not talk about past, but future." Suddenly Goemon said, taking her hands in his. Mai flinched at the touch and stared at him. The lord looked into her eyes, serious expression on her face. "Amayami, your honorable father and I have decided to unite Kaga and Echizen by our marriage. I know, that we met each other today, but I am already enticed by your beauty and grace. Will you honor me with becoming my wife?"

"Eh?" Mai uttered, dumbfounded. It was their first date and he proposed already?! No way she would marry, she was only seventeen! The girl took a deep breath to calm herself down. She was now in the feudal era, things work different here than in modern Japan. Those turn of events was supposed to be normal for sengoku era. She stared at her feet, not being able to decide, what she should tell Goemon. Did she want him? In a manner of speaking yes, she'd be happy to date him for a while and then decide, but she may not have that chance. Come on, the guy was a walking perfection, every girl's dream. Why the hell would she say no? Unknowingly, Mai touched her hairpin.

"Amayami-hime?" Goemon asked, waiting for her answer. Mai lifted her head and bit the lower lip. This was the best chance to get the nice man and lead a happy life, right?

"Yes…" she said, still hesitating. However, the young lord didn't notice the unsure tone in her voice, or pretended not to notice.

He offered her his hand and he walked her to her rooms. He said goodbye and Mai was left alone.

The girl tossed herself onto bed and rolled onto her back. What a day! She met a dashing prince and will marry him in the future, hopefully there would be enough time to date a couple of times. She grinned sheepishly. In your face, Sesshomaru! I'm not going to be your slave!

Mai slapped her forehead, as she felt something stinging her, presumably a mosquito.

"Mai…" said a familiar, pained voice. The girl yelped and sat down. To her surprise, before her was sitting none other than Myoga the flea.

"Myoga-jiji?!"

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**Thanks for reading. So, what are you thinking?**


	48. The way to Kaga

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Oh, this is a short one. Anyway if you want a quick update, send me your comments. I love to read, how you guess what will happen next – it's a real fun to me, the greatest if I manage to surprise you. Anyway, enjoy!**

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**Chapter 48**

**The way to Kaga**

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"Myoga-jiji, what the hell are you doing here?" she whispered, not wanting anyone hear her chatting with a youkai. The tiny demon managed to regain his normal shape, as Mai flattened him a bit before.

"Uff! I'm on a secret mission." He said. Mai arched her eyebrow and with the gesture urged him to tell her more. "Inuyasha-sama and Kagome learned of your escape already. Kagome asked me in secret to give you this. Inside this pouch are the seeds of the scent-masking herbs. If you grow them and harvest every three months, you can stay hidden from Sesshomaru-sama's nose forever."

Mai carefully took the pouch from Myoga.

"Kagome asked you to give it to me in secret?" she asked and Myoga nodded. God bless Kagome! Mai smiled – her friend might have saved her skin. Now she was completely safe from Sesshomaru's wrath. Although it was quite unsettling, that Myoga managed to find her, but the flea youkai just had this special ability.

"Myoga-jiji, will you stay a bit?" she asked, grateful for the old demon's help. "I'm sure, that the maidservants have very tasty blood."

Myoga laughed at the mere thought.

"Of course I will." He said.

Mai had to admit, that it was fun, having Myoga around – she had someone to talk to honestly, without pretending to be the princess. Moreover, the old demon had quite an extensive knowledge and he told Mai this and that.

The next two weeks passed in the blissful atmosphere, aside the fact that the fake father stated, that Mai had to depart to Kaga with the end of the week to marry Goemon. She was quite nervous about that, but Myoga promised, that he'll stay with her till that time, as she couldn't count on Shinji – he was constantly on some council meetings. In the meantime Mai was either spending time with charming Goemon or with Myoga.

In the afternoon Mai took a scroll and went to the garden, carrying the flea-demon under her hair. She sat on the bench and unrolled the scroll, pretending to be reading. Myoga hopped on the bench beside her. They sat still for a while, observing the colorful koi-carps, swimming in the pond.

"This brings back memories." Said Myoga sighing.

"What do you mean, Myoga-jiji?" Mai asked him.

"Not that long I was keeping company other princess, who was about to marry a handsome samurai. She was happy about it just like you are."

"Oh." Mai thought it must be a romantic story if Myoga-jiji brings it up right now. "And what happened?"

"She met a fearsome demon one day…" the flea-youkai continued. Mai rolled her eyes.

"Myoga-jiji!" she interrupted him, fed up with listening about the demons. "Spare me this. Tell me rather if she ended up with her beloved and was happy afterwards?"

"She did and they had a wonderful baby boy." Myoga answered, however his face showed some sorrow. "But her beloved died short after their son's birth, fighting with the samurai."

"With the samurai? She didn't marry that samurai?" Mai asked, getting confused by Myoga's story. The flea-youkai shook his head.

"Her beloved was the demon." The flea answered.

"Myoga, what kind of stories you are telling me!" Mai scolded Myoga.

"That was the story of Inu no Taisho and lady Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother." He answered. Mai narrowed her eyes.

"You were supposed to support me, not the opposite. It's like you wished me to go back to Sesshomaru!"

"Do you despise Sesshomaru-sama so much?" Myoga asked. Mai felt her anger welling. Why the hell the old demon had to bring up that arrogant jerk again?

"I hate him!" she exclaimed.

"Izayoi said the same about Inu no Taisho." He replied, grinning smugly.

"Myoga!" Mai screamed atop her lungs, smacking the flea-youkai with her palm.

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Finally, the big day has come. Mai was quite happy, that Myoga decided to accompany her along the way and hid himself under the girl's hair. The aristocrats and servants gathered in front of the castle to say goodbye to the princess. Aiko was standing behind Lord Asakura, weeping. The fake father himself did his best to maintain the emotionless façade, but Mai noticed, that he also looked, as though he was about to cry.

"Aiko, stop crying." Mai whispered to the old crone, but she began sobbing even more.

"Amayami, my child, stay safe and be happy." Her fake father whispered to Mai. Then, he cleared his throat and said louder. "Maeda Goemon-dono, I, Asakura Sadakage, the lord of Echizen, hereby bestow on your shoulders the task of taking care of Amayami-hime and the future of this province. Take my daughter as your bride."

Lord Asakura bowed and Goemon bowed back courtly.

"I accept the responsibility." The young aristocrat said. Mai was now officially passed from the father's care to her fiancé. Goemon reached out his hand to help the girl get into a palanquin. Mai wasn't happy about this mean of transport, but decided not to complain just yet. She took the man's hand and sat inside. She felt the servants lift the palanquin, that was partially on wheels, like a cart and they set off, accompanied by quite a military force. When the curtains around the girl fell, Myoga hopped from his hideout. Mai decided to take a nap, considering, that there wasn't anything else to do. Anyway, she didn't sleep at all from all the nervousness last night. She took of the hairpin and placed inside her kimono, so that she wouldn't lose it in the sleep.

"Mai," Myoga whispered. "This hairpin, you seem to be fond of it. Did Goemon-dono gave it to you?"

Mai glared at the flea.

"No." she whispered back, hoping that the old youkai would drop the topic. Unfortunately, she was wrong.

"Did a man gave it to you?"

"Yes." Mai hissed, getting angry at Myoga. She had an idea, where the conversation is heading. Well, she really shouldn't expect anything else from the flea – he was Inu no Taisho's most loyal retainer. But why did he have to insist on playing a matchmaker?

"Did Sesshomaru-sama gave it to you?" Myoga asked with wide grin. Mai cast him her poisonous glare and mumbled a positive answer.

"Are you sure, that you hate Sesshomaru-sama?" he asked happily.

"Yes, I am sure. And it's mutual. Now, Myoga-jiji, please shut up and let me sleep."

Mai clasped her eyes shut and pretended to be asleep, hoping, that the flea would stop teasing her. The company of the old youkai was pleasant most of the time, but that one issue pissed her – Myoga kept convincing her to go back to Sesshomaru, what was an idiocy. The girl had a hunch, that she escaped one time too much and this time the dog-demon wouldn't forgive her that easily. She was even surprised, that he did it last time.

Mai cursed inwardly. She was thinking of him again. Shouldn't she be all lovey-dovey with Goemon and have eyes only for him? That was all Myoga's fault. Set on not thinking of anything, Mai took a nap.

When the girl woke up, the sun was already setting. Mai peeked out of the palanquin. Close to her, there were samurai's riding, surely for her protection. The young lord rode on his horse. Mai waved to him. Goemon noticed it and rode to her.

"I must have been very tired. I slept all the way." She said to him, smiling. "Did we cross the border between Echizen and Kaga already?"

"Yes, a few hours ago." Goemon said. Something was not right. Mai examined his impassionate face. Where was the gentle smile? Maybe he was just tired as well.

"Goemon-dono, when we will be in your castle?" the girl asked, impatient to get out of the wretched palanquin at last. Goemon turned his head and smiled at her, but the smile creeped her out.

"In two days, just in time for your execution."

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**It seems, that I do have a fetish for cliffhangers ;-)**

**Share your comments please…**


	49. Help me, Sesshomaru

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: Thanks for the comments and sorry for the cliffhanger, but I just love to make them… ****Anyway, here's the next chapter.**

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**Chapter 49**

**Help me, Sesshomaru**

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"In two days, just in time for your execution." Said Goemon, smiling at her evilly.

Mai stared at him. What was happening? This man… he wasn't the same one he met at the castle. That Goemon was a charming gentleman and this one – there was cruelty on his face. How a man can change so easily? And the thing, he was talking about.

"Execution?" Mai repeated, feeling her fear spiking. Goemon looked at her with sick amusement in his eyes.

"Did you really think, that you were going to your wedding?" he asked in a mocking voice and laughed dryly. "I suppose, that I fooled all of the Asakura clan with the fake treaty. As we speak, my army is leaving the capital of Kaga, marching to claim Echizen."

Mai kept staring at him. What a bastard! To use such a wretched trick… She looked around. Her palanquin was surrounded by the samurais, who were pointing their spears at her. There was no way she could escape and live. She shifted her attention back to Goemon.

"I'm a valuable hostage." She stated. The man couldn't kill her. She knew, that politically she was worth more alive than dead.

"Perhaps you are. But, you see, I loved my older brother very much. Pity, that he wasted his life for a youkai's whore."

"What?!" Mai exclaimed, angry. How dare call her that?! "I'm not, you pathetic lying bastard! How dare you accuse me of such things?!"

The lord laughed again at her outburst.

"So you deny, that you came with the youkai willingly?" he asked, arching his eyebrow.

"Of course I deny!" Mai shouted at him, clenching her fists.

"I see that you are not wearing that pretty hairpin with emeralds. It really goes with your eyes." He said. Mai's hand wandered to the place, where she hid it. Why was he mentioning the hairpin now? Did he know, that…Goemon smiled "You should know, princess, that my spies are everywhere. One of them happened to see your silver-haired youkai lover presenting this very hairpin to you…"

"He's not my lover!" Mai hissed through the clenched teeth.

"DON"T LIE TO ME!" Goemon bellowed. Mai felt a shiver go down her spine. The guy is crazy! He narrowed his eyes at her, his face becoming a mask of wrath. "You belong only to one man, princess – my brother Gorouza. Once we reach the capital of Kaga, you will join him in afterlife."

With this words Goemon kicked the sides of his horse and rode away. Mai stared after him, feeling, that her hands began to sweat. Quickly, she hid herself behind the curtains of the palanquin, breathing heavily. She found herself in the clutches of a madman – and she came to him willingly. The girl covered her face in her palms.

"What have I done?" she whined. Trying to get away from Sesshomaru, she found herself even in a bigger mess. What should she do? She couldn't escape by herself, she had to ask someone for help. Who? Inuyasha won't make it in only two days, Shinji or her fake father neither. There was only one person who could.

Mai lifted her head.

"Myoga, get Sesshomaru." She said. The flea-youkai came out from his hideout and looked at Mai with concern.

"I'll do my best to convince him to help you." Myoga said and hopped out of the palanquin, leaving Mai completely alone, surrounded by the enemies. The girl sighed heavily. Why of all talents, she had to have the one of getting into lethally dangerous trouble? Perhaps Sesshomaru was right – she needed the constant protection. She reached to her kimono and took out the silver hairpin, tracing her fingers over the green gems. What an irony: she escaped from the inu-youkai and yet he was the one on whom she could count. But… will he be willing to help her or will he just leave her to die?

No, it was no time for negative thoughts. He would come and rescue her, as he always did. She peeked out of palanquin. There was already night and the caravan was still on the move. She looked up at the sky. There was the full moon today. She gazed at it.

"Sesshomaru, please come for me." She whispered, tossing out the pouch with the scent-masking herbs.

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"Oyakata-sama!" shouted a man in tattered kimono, dressed like a peasant. "Oyakata-sama!"

Lord Asakura was just discussing the terms of the peace treaty between Echizen and Kaga with his first general, young Hiroyoshi Shinji, when a man run in. The servants let him in instantly. Although the man wore the plain and dirty clothes of a commoner, he wasn't one. That was Takenagi Hiroto, one of the most trusted retainers and a master, when it came to obtaining information.

"What is it, Takenagi?" the lord asked. Takenagi bowed shortly.

"My lord, my men discovered, that Maeda Goemon has been readying his troops for the assault on Echizen. We estimate, that they may have departed this noon. We are waiting for the further information from our scouts."

The lord furrowed his brows, trying not to show surprise. Shinji, on the other hand gasped.

"Are you certain, that Maeda broke the treaty?" Lord Asakura asked in gravely serious tone. Takenagi nodded.

"Yes, my lord, I am sure of that." He answered shortly.

"And Amayami-hime…" Shinji asked, worry all over the face. Lord Asakura clenched his fists and the older retainer shook his head.

"It seems, that Kaga gained a hostage. Oyakata-sama, we must not yield, even if Maeda threatens us with the princess's life!" said Takenagi.

"Amayami is my only child!" Lord Asakura bellowed, glaring furiously at his retainer.

"We cannot risk the future of Echizen, my lord." Takenagi didn't give up.

"Are you stupid, Takenagi? The future of Echizen has been already put in jeopardy the very moment I have let that bastard Maeda take my daughter as his future bride. If Amayami gives birth to a son, he will be the future head of Askakura clan and the ruler of Echizen. We must not let him have my daughter!"

Shinji and Takenagi listened to the lord in silence, knowing, that he was right. Shinji spoke up finally, breaking the long moment of silence.

"My lord, what do you command?" he asked. Lord Asakura folded his arms.

"Takenagi, prepare our troops to march against Maeda's army. Shinji, you will take our best men and ride for Kaga's capital. Once Maeda's troops leave for Echizen, the castle will be unguarded – that is our chance to get Amayami back." The lord explained his plan.

"And the lord?" Shinji asked. The lord clenched his fist.

"Tell your man, that the one, who will behead Maeda Goemon, will receive the princess as his bride and will be the heir of Echizen."

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"Hurry!" Myoga the flea shouted to the owl, on which back he was flying. Fortunately, the sky was clear and the stars were shining brightly. Over a day of flying in circles, Myoga finally spotted the familiar group. "Land, bird!" he said to the owl.

The flea hopped and landed in the safe distance from Sesshomaru. Normally, he would land on the dog-demon and drink some of his blood – it must have been delicious, given the taste of Inu no Taisho's and Inuyasha's blood, but Myoga didn't have a death wish.

When the inu-youkai noticed the tiny flea-demon, he narrowed his eyes and glared at him.

"What are you doing here, Myoga?" he asked harshly. The flea sighed, seeing the dog-demon's hostile attitude.

"Sesshomaru-sama, your help is urgently needed!" Myoga exclaimed. Sesshomaru only glared at him in silence, so the old flea decided to go straight to the point. "The woman named Mai is in a grave danger!"

Jaken and Rin exclaimed, both at the same time, worried for the girl. However, Sesshomaru's face stayed emotionless, not showing the least bit of concern.

"Sesshomaru-sama, won't you save her?" Myoga asked. The demon averted his gaze.

"Save her?" he said after a longer while of silence. "Why would I do such a pointless thing? The woman sealed her fate. I have offered her my protection and she has refused it. This Sesshomaru will not save her again."

Myoga looked at the dog-demon and sighed.

"Sesshomaru-sama, if you not help her, Mai will be executed by the end of the day. Will you let her die?" Myoga asked, hoping to get to Sesshomaru's conscience. Granted, that he had any.

"That is not of my concern." The dog-demon answered, refusing to look at Myoga. The flea demon furrowed his brows. How can he be that stubborn? Well, it was the common trait for the Inu no Taisho and both his sons. Myoga decided to use stronger arguments.

"Your father would be disappointed if he saw you right now, Sesshomaru-sama." Myoga said sadly, shaking his head. The inu-youkai cast him an angry glare.

"Do not mention my father!" Sesshomaru hissed through the clenched teeth. Myoga decided to continue. He had to do his best to convince the stubborn young taiyoukai, if he wanted to save Mai's life.

"You want to leave a helpless woman to face the death, the woman, who waits for you, even in this very moment, praying for you to come and save her. Inu no Taisho would roll in his grave, knowing how heartless his firstborn son turned out to be…"

"Shut up!" Sesshomaru growled, infuriated. "My father's weakness for humans led him to his pathetic death. This Sesshomaru will not share his fate!"

"Do you remember a silver hairpin with emeralds, that you gave Mai?" Myoga asked silently. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, unsure what the flea planned to say. "Then know, that this very hairpin is the reason this woman will be executed tonight – because she was seen accepting a gift from a youkai, from you. The responsibility for her death is all yours."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened, as he heard Myoga's words. The woman will die because of his action? Her death should not bother him – she betrayed his trust many times, but still… To let her be killed because she was with him? The image of her smiling face came to his mind – flushed cheeks, bright eyes. He would be the one to blame when those eyes would become lifeless. The demon clenched his fist. One last time.

"Myoga, lead me to her." He said quietly. Myoga smiled with relief and happed onto Sesshomaru's white fur.

"Sesshomaru-sama, we must hurry!" the flea exclaimed.

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Rin and Jaken observed, as the huge white dog soared into the sky, vanishing in the distance.

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**Oh no! Will he make in time? Review and find out quickly!**


	50. Too late to rescue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes: So sad… Ok, I'm not going to spoil your fun. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 50**

**Too late to rescue**

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After two horribly long days Mai finally reached Kanazawa, the capital of Kaga. The huge castle was surrounded by a large town. As her captors along with her were making the way towards the castle, the girl peeked out of the palanquin. She was careful not to lose her balance, as her hands and legs were tied. It happened, when she lost the control over her temper and punched that evil bastard Goemon squarely in the face. Although she was now bound, she was a little bit satisfied as well – she managed to grace Lord Maeda's face with huge black bruise.

To Mai's discontent, Goemon approached her. She looked away, not wanting to see the lying face of his.

"At the sunset you will join your fiancé in afterlife." He informed her. Mai frowned, as the sadistic bastard was repeating it much too often for the last two days, expecting her to lose hope and beg for life. No way in hell – she had her pride. Goemon smiled at her with faked gentleness. "Do you still think, that your youkai lover will come for you?"

Mai turned her head towards him and cast the most poisonous glare she could manage.

"He is not my lover. And, yes, Sesshomaru will come for me." She said stubbornly. Although she kept saying this to Goemon with confidence, she believed that less with every passing hour. Didn't Myoga find him? She had a terrible hunch, that the flea reached Sesshomaru and he refused to save her. Mai knew, that she should have stayed with the inu-youkai all along – she would be safe by his side. She cursed her stupidity. Now she will die because of it. The hope, that Sesshomaru will come and rescue her was the only thing keeping her sane. If not it, she would go crazy from the fear of dying. Now she felt, that she was beginning to lose that hope.

Her palanquin along with Goemon and the guards passed through the castle gates. Once inside, the servants ushered the girl out of the cart, after they cut the ropes on her legs. Two muscled guards grabbed her arms, immobilizing her almost completely and dragged her after Lord Maeda, who casually strolled along the corridors of the castle. They climbed many stairs and reached the room, that was on the highest floor. Mai was brutally dragged into it. The room was spacious, but nearly empty. In the middle of it was a wooden pillar with solid iron shackles attached to it and a long table. Something was on it, but the girl couldn't tell what, because a cloth covered it. Goemon turned around and looked on his servants.

"Cuff her and leave." He ordered sharply. Mai struggled, as the men dragged her to the pole and put the shackles on her wrists so that she had her arms above her head. The girl tried to fight with all her strength, kicking and hissing at them, but she had no chance against them. The men bowed and left the room, leaving her alone with the madman. Between the girl and him was the table.

"Are you wondering, what is underneath this cloth?" Goemon asked, pointing at the table.

"Tch! I don't care!" Mai hissed furiously, glaring at him. The lord smiled maliciously.

"How can you say such a thing, princess?" he said with mocked indignation. "Are you not curious, with whom will you spend the last night of your life?"

"With whom?" Mai repeated, staring at the shape on the table. Just don't tell me, that…

Goemon slowly, with a certain dose of care, removed the fabric and threw it on the floor. Mai gasped, horrified. Bones. On the table laid a human skeleton, with the remains of dried flesh and hair. It was clad in tattered clothes. The attire was a rag now, but there was no mistake – those were the clothes Gorouza, the princess's fiancé, wore on day of his death, when Sesshomaru kidnapped Mai.

"I see, that you recognized your fiancé and my beloved brother." Goemon grinned, caressing the skull with the tips of his fingers. "I am sure, that he would be glad if his and your bones would rest in the same grave, joined forever."

Mai frowned with disgust.

"He wouldn't." she responded firmly. "He wasn't like you. Gorouza was a good man, unlike you, you twisted lunatic!"

Goemon laughed at her outburst.

"To hear such words coming from your lips, sweet Amayami…" he mocked her. "From you, who betrayed my brother for the sake of a worthless monster!" he spat at her. Mai narrowed her eyes. Now, she had nothing to lose – she would die anyway in an hour or so. Maybe Sesshomaru was a pain in the ass and left her to die, but she didn't blame him for that. She was at fault too.

"Sesshomaru is not worthless, you piece of shit!" she screamed at him. "Maybe he's a cruel demon, but he knows more about honor that you ever will! Once he comes, he'll rip you in shreds!"

Goemon hissed, angered by her response, but he regained his composure after a moment.

"You speak so highly of your youkai, but where is he now?" Lord Maeda smiled, what made Mai feel sick. "Why didn't he come to save you?"

Mai didn't answer. She felt like it, but she refused to break in tears. She wouldn't give this monster the satisfaction.

Goemon played with the hem of Gorouza's tattered kimono.

"This is the fate of the women, who side with the youkai. Do you think that he would weep, seeing your lifeless body?" He said, a smile playing on his lips. "I must leave you, my dear Amayami. I have to join my retainers on the walls of the castle, for my spies told me, that a certain general named Hiroyoshi Shinji will try to capture my capital while the main forces attack your homeland. He is a friend of yours, isn't he?"

Mai stared at him, not willing to answer.

"Pity, yet another man will die because of you." He said, grabbing a candle from the table and walking towards the exit. "Well, I suppose it's time to say goodbye, princess. Join my brother in afterlife."

With this words he opened his palm, letting the candle fall on the floor and just walked away. Mai watched with horror as the flames engulfed the tatami, slowly reaching the paper walls. The girl desperately struggled to free herself, but she only hurt her wrists, drawing blood. Soon, the flames were everywhere around her. The room was empty, so they couldn't reach her yet. She would die either of suffocation or under debris, when the roof would fall. How cruel Goemon was – not only wanted to kill her, but also wished her to die in a long and painful way. Mai felt the hot gusts on her face and the scuffles were heating up, hurting her arms. The girl coughed, finding it more difficult to breathe, as the oxygen from the air got burned away. Her lungs felt like burning from breathing in the hot air. She whimpered, knowing, that the agony was near. She didn't want to die. Not yet. Mai's vision began to blur and her legs gave up, leaving her hanging on her arms. She stared into the flames, that danced around her.

"Sesshomaru…" she uttered. The girl heard roars of the flames and howling. Was it howling of the fire or something else?

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"Hurry, Sesshomaru-sama, it's almost sunset!" Myoga exclaimed, as he was gripping the fur of the dog-demon in his true form. Sesshomaru was flying towards the Kanazawa castle at his greatest speed, but the time was almost up. Myoga was worried both for the girl, who was a very nice person indeed, and the Inu no Taisho's son. The old flea-youkai was in a situation like this before and it didn't end well. Then, Myoga spotted the buildings. Under the castle walls two human armies were battling and the castle was burning, the attackers probably set the fire. Myoga squinted his eyes, trying to spot Mai among the other humans. He didn't succeed, but he noticed someone else – that evil lord Goemon. He must know where the girl was.

"Sesshomaru-sama! The leader in blue armor must know, where Mai is!" the flea-youkai cried and fled.

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Shinji slashed his opponent and cursed. Someone must have warned Maeda of their attack. If the forces of Kanazawa weren't mobilized, Shinji and his men could have stand a chance, but now it was a suicide. Not that Shinji didn't know how slim their chances were from the start – but he had to rescue Amayami, the girl meant world for him. If only he could behead Lord Maeda…

The young samurai skillfully dodged the blow and killed two other opponents. Shinji looked around, assessing the situation. The enemies outnumbered his men. If he didn't order to retreat now, they all would be slaughtered. Yet, he hesitated. Retreating would mean sealing Amayami fate.

"Men of Echizen!" a voice echoed above their heads. Shinji looked up. Maeda Goemon, lord of Kaga, was standing on the walls, mocking them. The young samurai gritted his teeth and gripped the hilt of the sword tighter. The lord continued. "How foolish of you was to come here! Your princess can't be saved now!"

"I won't forgive you!" yelled Shinji, throwing himself desperately at the enemies, blinded with fury. He will avenge Amayami, even if he dies. The man was slashing the enemies as though he was possessed, his wrath fueled by the Goemon's laughter. Shinji barely realized, when he killed all his opponents. Panting, he stood among the dead bodied, the blood dripping from his blade. The samurai looked up.

"What…" he began, seeing a huge white shape descending from the sky. He squinted his eyes and gasped, as he recognized it – it was the enormous dog demon, like that from the old tales of the powerful inu-Taiyoukai, who ruled the western provinces. The demon roared and approached the place, where Shinji, Lord Maeda and the soldiers were. With a huge impact, he collided with the wall, near Maeda Goemon, so that rocks were flying everywhere. Shinji covered his eyes with the arm, as the flash of purple light blinded him. When he lowered his hand, the samurai saw a man standing not three meters from a startled Lord Maeda. The newcomer's long silver hair billowed in the wing, along with the sleeves of his fine haori. When Shinji looked closer at the man, he decided, that he was no human for sure – he must be the dog-demon. For a while, both he and Goemon stayed silent, glaring at each other. Finally, the lord of Kaga spoke.

"So, eventually you came for your princess?" he asked with a malicious grin. The demon narrowed his golden eyes.

"Where is she?" the inu-youkai demanded harshly. Lord Maeda laughed cruelly.

"You came too late, youkai. Maybe if you came sooner, she wouldn't die a long and painful death in the flames."

The demon shot a furious glare at Goemon and quickly looked at the burning castle. Lord Maeda began laughing uncontrollably, obviously amused by telling the youkai of princess's death. Shinji stepped back, as he saw a powerful demonic aura starting to swirl around the silver-haired demon, as his eyes turned red. He reached Maeda Goemon in one swift leap and grabbed his head. Startled Goemon stopped laughing, when he realized, what was happening. With only a twist of the wrist, the demon literally ripped the lord's head from the rest of the body, throwing it away. Then he jumped into the air and soared toward the burning castle.

Shinji saw Goemon's head rolling towards his feet. The young samurai bent down and picked it up.

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**ANNOUNCEMENT!**

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_**Hello my dear readers,  
**_

_**as you may have already noticed, the story is 151 chapters long and most of the chapters suddenly vanished.  
**_

**_Don't worry, you'll be able to read "Through the Looking Glass" _****till the end** soon. The reason for the horrible chaos is the fact, that I'm in the process of moving my story from here to my blog. The blog adress is:  


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**www -dot- thewondeclipse89 -dot- blogspot -dot- com  
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**The reason for this is, that I just want to have my own blog, with the possiblity to upload fanart, designing it the way I like etc.  
**

**I apologize for the inconvenience in the transition period. I hope, that you'll continue reading the story on my blog. Please have patience. I'll do my best this weekend to upload as many chapters as I can. Unfortunately my internet connection is malfunctioning a bit, so it'll take a bit.  
**

**I hope to see**** you on my blog,  
**

**.**

**Eclipse89  
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**PS. Write comments. I still love reading those.**

**If you have any questions, leave comments on my blog or PM me.**

**On my other blog will be the original version of "Through the looking glass" uploaded (not the fanfiction).**

**www -dot- malorzat -dot- blogspot -dot- com **

**.**

**Once again, sorry for causing you trouble, but please do read the story till the end - it's full of the unexpected twists of plot, action and M=rated romance in later chapters.**


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